Ecologist Paddy Ryan has released a picture of a Taveuni blind snake, also known as the Naota.
He said in a social post, with the photograph of the Taveuni blind snake, he has now successfully captured a picture of all four off Fiji’s land snakes, the Pacific Islands boa, the endemic Ogmodon vitianus, the flowerpot snake and now the Taveuni blind snake, Naota.
“The search for the blind snake started when Dick Watling surmised that an old scientific paper reporting the discovery of a burrowing snake in southern Taveuni might be real,” said Mr Ryan.
“I started looking for the snake 14 years ago and friend Maika sent me video of one he caught.”
“Despite searching myself, and posting a financial reward for a live specimen, none turned up on my many visits to Taveuni.”
“Until now that is. I excited and happy to share these photos. Persistence can pay off.”
