General description

Epictia hobartsmithi is a small, non-venomous, fossorial snake belonging to the family Leptotyphlopidae. Like other blind snakes, it has a cylindrical body, a head that is poorly differentiated from the neck, and highly reduced eyes that are functional only for detecting changes in light.

Unlike many species within the genus, this snake displays a uniformly dark coloration: jet black in life and very dark brown in preservative, lacking longitudinal pale lines or zigzag body patterns. This homogeneous appearance clearly distinguishes it from other Venezuelan species such as Epictia fallax or E. albifrons. A distinctive pale blotch is present on the head—ochre yellow in life and whitish in preservative—located on the rostral and frontal region. A smaller pale mark is also present at the distal end of the tail, including the apical scale.

The snout is slightly blunt, with an elongated rostral scale that is visible from above. An important diagnostic character is the contact between the supraocular scale and the first supralabial, a rare feature within the genus and a key trait for distinguishing this species from several closely related Epictia.

The specific name hobartsmithi honors the American herpetologist Hobart Muir Smith, one of the most prolific scientists in the history of herpetology. His influence was fundamental in the training of researchers who later contributed significantly to the development of herpetology in Venezuela. Appropriately, this species inhabits one of the most ancient and isolated landscapes on Earth: the summits of the tepuis of the Guiana Shield.

Distribution and habitat in Venezuela

Epictia hobartsmithi is endemic to Venezuela and is known only from the summit of Guaiquinima Tepui, in Bolívar State, at elevations of approximately 1,150–1,180 m above sea level.

It inhabits high-elevation tepui environments characterized by:

• sandy and rocky substrates
• open savanna-like vegetation dominated by Stegolepis
• patches of shrubs and herbaceous formations
• exposed areas with rocks and sparse plant cover. 

These ecosystems are part of an extremely ancient and isolated landscape, with humid climatic conditions, moderate temperatures, and high annual rainfall. The species appears to be associated with microhabitats beneath rocks and within loose soils of these summit savannas.

Behavior and ecology

This is a fossorial and cryptozoic snake, living beneath the soil or among rocks and leaf litter. All known specimens were found under stones, suggesting the use of shallow surface refuges within loose substrates on the tepui summit.

It feeds on small soil invertebrates. One individual maintained in captivity accepted ant pupae and eggs, consistent with the highly specialized diet typical of blind snakes.

It poses no danger to humans and exhibits strictly evasive behavior.

Conservation

Because it is known from a single locality on the summit of a tepui, Epictia hobartsmithi can be considered a species with an extremely restricted distribution. Although its habitat lies in a remote and difficult-to-access region, any ecological disturbance affecting these summits—such as fires, introduction of non-native species, or climate change—could have significant impacts on its populations.

Its conservation is therefore directly linked to the protection of tepui ecosystems, which harbor exceptionally high levels of endemism.

Notes

• The species was formally described in 2015, based on detailed studies of specimens collected in 1990 that had initially been identified as another species.
• Its combination of uniform dark coloration and the contact between the supraocular and supralabial scales clearly distinguishes it from other Venezuelan Epictia.
• It represents a clear example of tepui endemism and highlights how isolated regions of the Guiana Shield continue to harbor species previously unknown to science.