Awl-headed snake  (Lytorhynchus diadema)

This species has yet to be classified by the IUCN.

A little-known, burrow-dwelling reptile, the most distinctive feature of the awl-headed snake is its shovel-shaped, projecting snout which is used as an adaptation for digging into sand while seeking out prey (2) (3). With undulations of the elongated, cylindrical body and medium-sized tail, the head, with sunken mouth and enlarged scales, is thrust into the ground and the sand is pushed away. The awl-headed snake varies in colour from pale yellow to yellow-brown or reddish, although a series of dark rectangular blotches on the upperside and smaller spots on the sides of the body are largely retained. There is a chocolate-brown circle or ring on each side of the head behind the eyes, which are usually joined by a brown bar, and a dark stripe runs from each eye to the corner of the mouth. The underside of the body is a uniform white or cream (2). 

The awl-headed snake has a large range across North Africa and the Middle East, stretching from Mauritania in the west to the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and south-west Iran in the east (4).

The awl-headed snake inhabits sand or stony areas around the margins of deserts, in coastal sand dunes, and on high grassy plateaus up to altitudes of around 2,000 metres (2).

Very little is known about the biology of this snake, but it is thought to be largely nocturnal or crepuscular during the summer, residing in burrows during the day (2) (5). In the colder months of spring and autumn, it is thought to become more active during the day. It mainly eats small lizards that have burrowed into loose sand, but young rodents and large insects may also be consumed. Like most other colubrid snakes, those belonging to the Colubridae family, it is probably an egg-laying species (6). It is known to live for up to six years in captivity (2).

It is not known if there are any major threats to awl-headed snake.

The awl-headed snake has not been the target of any known conservation measures.

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi is a principal sponsor of ARKive. EAD is working to protect and conserve the environment as well as promoting sustainable development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

To find out more about the conservation of reptiles, see:

• The International Reptile Conservation Fund:
  http://www.ircf.org/

For further information on conservation in the United Arab Emirates, see:

• The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi:
  http://www.ead.ae/en