Blind Snake

The genes of a newfound snake family suggest blind snakes lived on the island of Madagascar since, well, before it was an island.

The discovery is helping to decode how these rarely seen—and barely seeing, though not completely blind—snakes came to colonize much of the planet.

Growing to about a foot (30 centimeters) long, blind snakes act a lot like worms, burrowing under the surface of every continent except Antarctica. Unlike worms, though, blind snakes have backbones and tiny scales. (Link)