The world’s smallest snake had evaded scientists for nearly 20 years but was recently spotted again on a survey expedition.

The Barbados threadsnake, which tops out at four inches long, was rediscovered on a March survey trip by the Barbados Ministry of the Environment and Natural Beautification and the conservation organization Re:wild. This was part of the Barbados government’s Conserving Barbados’ Endemic Reptiles project. The threadsnake is a particularly evasive endemic reptile, with decades usually passing between each confirmed sighting.

Connor Blades, survey team member and project officer with the Ministry of Environment, says, “Barbados threadsnakes are blind snakes, so they’re very cryptic. They’re quite rare also, it seems. There have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since 1889, so there are not many people who have ever seen it, unfortunately.”

The species had been on Re:wild’s list of species lost to science before the team found one under a rock next to a worm in the forests of Barbados. Because the threadsnake is so small and resembles the invasive Brahminy blind snake, it can be hard to differentiate between the two. That’s why the snake was taken to the University of the West Indies so it could be examined under a microscope and confirmed as a threadsnake. Their features include pale orange stripes across the length of their bodies, eyes on the sides of their heads, and small scales on their noses.

Once it was examined, it was taken back to where it was found. The discovery helps scientists know where the species may be found in the future and to better understand its habitat for conservation purposes. As it was found in the forest, that habitat may be seriously threatened. Re:wild says Barbados has lost 98% of its primary forests for agricultural purposes since the colonial era began.

Justin Springer, Caribbean program officer for Re:wild, says, “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection. Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”