Epictia

The genus Epictia comprises small snakes with a cylindrical body highly adapted to subterranean life. Their eyes are extremely reduced and functionally limited, as they rely more on tactile and chemical cues than on vision to move and locate food. They are completely harmless snakes that feed mainly on ants, termites, and their larvae. Most of their activity occurs underground, so their presence often goes unnoticed and encounters with humans are rare and accidental.

Ecologically, Epictia plays an important role in controlling social insects and in soil dynamics. Due to their cryptic lifestyle and the scarcity of study material, the systematics of the genus has historically been unstable, with frequent taxonomic revisions and changes in species delimitation and generic combinations as new information becomes available. This reflects the challenges involved in studying these snakes and the ongoing need for research to clarify their diversity and distribution.