vgabndo - 3-20-2014 at 04:19 PM
I'm guessing it is a baby Banded Sand Snake. It was certainly a sand snake. It could burrow very quickly, and was hard to pull out when half sunk!
About 3/16 in diameter and about 7 inches long.
That is my gloved left thumb and forefinger for size comparison.
Nothing on line gives a clue except a picture of something like this on the Banded SS page.
Bob53 - 3-20-2014 at 04:26 PM
I've never seen anything like it. Very cool looking.
Taco de Baja - 3-20-2014 at 04:53 PM
It may not be a snake at all, it may be a type of legless lizard....???... But that's just a guess. 
EDIT
See: http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/amphisbaenidae/Interesting for critters known as "worm lizards"
Did not look to see if any live in Baja.....
[Edited on 3-21-2014 by Taco de Baja]
vgabndo - 3-20-2014 at 04:59 PM
I'm not a taxonomist, and I didn't stay at Holiday Inn, but this creature had no eye lids, legless lizards have eyelids! I have an e-mail into a
herpetology website with these images. Perhaps they'll have a good answer.
KaceyJ - 3-20-2014 at 05:12 PM
Blind Snake
mtgoat666 - 3-20-2014 at 05:18 PM
Western Blindsnake
BajaBlanca - 3-20-2014 at 05:44 PM
Very cool snake.
Whale-ista - 3-20-2014 at 06:06 PM
My first thought was "legless lizard," but... is it a juvenille? Near a nest? Recently hatched??
Appreciate you asking our opinions, but- Identifying critters long distance via postings is difficult... no, impossible. Even with wonderful photos,
as you have provided.
We can't see where they are living, how they are moving, what other critters are around, etc.
Pls let us know what conclusion you and your experts arrive at! Inquiring minds want to, well, you know...
CortezBlue - 3-20-2014 at 07:20 PM
looks like a purple garden hose
Osprey - 3-20-2014 at 07:27 PM
There are several species of sand snakes in Baja. That one looks like the Pt. Arenas sand snake >> I captured one in the late 70s by the
lighthouse out by Bahia de los Muertos. Took some pix, looked it up at the library in Las Vegas and it turned out to be indigenous to that very spot
on the planet and no other. I found that curious at the time but since they live, feed and travel just under soft sand (with rare above ground
forages) that would mean they can't/won't travel far from the gene pool.
vgabndo - 3-20-2014 at 08:25 PM
Everything adds up for: Rena humilis cahuilae - Desert Threadsnake
The blunt tail, the sightless eye spots, under rocks near the moisture from the gray water drain, near ant colonies, deep sandy environment, correct
size, does occur in Baja. I wish I'd played with it a little more, or known to look for a barb on the tail.
woody with a view - 3-20-2014 at 08:28 PM
that is once in a lifetime brother! good find......
another check off the bucket list!
[Edited on 3-21-2014 by woody with a view]
Marla Daily - 3-20-2014 at 08:39 PM
Leptotyphlops humilis
David K - 3-20-2014 at 10:28 PM
So, is that what it is... shall I look in McPeak's book?
I go with the KaceyJ, goat man and Marla, Western Blind Snake Leptotyphlops humilis
[Edited on 3-21-2014 by David K]
vgabndo - 3-20-2014 at 11:49 PM
According to Gary Nafis, a noted herpetologist and photographer in response to my query, this is Rena humilis humilis - Southwestern Threadsnake. They
are generically called blind snakes. Here's his page on the critter. http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/r.h.humilis.html
Here's the home page of his excellent site.
http://www.californiaherps.com/index.html
monoloco - 3-21-2014 at 07:05 AM
I've seen those snakes a lot, they burrow in the ground. Locals claim that they will crawl up a child's burro if they are allowed to play in the dirt.
I wouldn't place too much stock in that claim though, I've also been told that toads will suck your blood.
mtgoat666 - 3-21-2014 at 09:20 AM
check out the sdnhm herpetology lists, such as http://www.sdnhm.org/archive/research/herpetology/bajarept.h...
Pompano - 3-21-2014 at 12:17 PM
Thanks for a good and well-researched snake report, Perry.
Just wanted to add that I have seen a 'blind sand snake' too... in my house. It was in a snake tube though, and captured by a couple of
herpetologists who were my house guests a while ago. I'd never found one personally, and was pleasantly surprised upon finding out they are quite
common in certain dunes not that far from my home in Coyote Bay.
Those two snake fanciers were on a quest to find a certain 'Santa Rosalia Rat Snake'...which they said was quite rare. They were at mi casa in
mid-summer when it was hotter than the Gates of Hell, and would watch their wrist thermometers for a certain temp after dusk before going on the hunt
for snakes. Mostly they wanted to travel some off-road trails in my Jeep and watch for snakes along the way. They had experienced eyes and spotted
many where I saw just sticks and rocks. Even when on the highway heading towards some likely spot, they would suddenly say..."There's one!"..and sure
enough, there it was on the side of the road. They collected many specimens and kept them turbid inside perforated plastic tubes kept in my beer
fridge. (I insisted they keep count of the snakes inside and to make sure they left with that number!)
They found and captured a tiny constrictor-type snake and a chukwhalla in my backyard. Then one day a huge desert hairy scorpion, and a large black
tarantula. Lots of biting & stinging critters were in the house...and I made sure they left.
We also went out in my cruiser, Pompano, to dive & search for sea snakes up near Pta. Chivato.
I videoed a few discussions on various specimens these scientists gave on my patio. Remember the old VCR type cameras? That brings me to this....
I have a question that I hope some nomad can help answer. I have all this on old video cassette film, VCR, which I will soon get
recorded onto discs. DVDs. Then I can post a video I suppose, but don't know the procedure for that. I will search Google for the procedure, but
maybe somebody here can clue me in on how to post a disc into a video?
