What specific dietary relationship critically links the evolutionary success and persistence of *R. humilis*?
It is an obligate carnivore specializing almost entirely in consuming ants, termites, and their brood
The survival narrative of the Western Blind Snake is fundamentally tied to a highly specific ecological dependency centered around its diet. *R. humilis* is classified as an obligate carnivore, meaning it must consume animal matter to survive, and its specialization is nearly total, focusing on social insects: ants and termites, including their eggs and larvae. This niche dictates their habitat preference—areas with permeable soil supporting these colonies—and guides their subterranean navigation, often following chemical trails left by their insect prey. This tight co-evolutionary relationship means that ecological shifts damaging local ant or termite populations pose an exceptionally severe and direct threat to the snake population.
