Splitjaw Snake: Bolyeriidae

The keel-scaled splitjaw prefers to live in the lush palm-covered rainforest of Round Island. Because much of the rainforest is now gone, however, the snake is surviving among stumps, scraggly bushes, and what few areas of thick forest it can find. The snake stays underground much of the time and therefore relies on proper soil conditions. Unfortunately, humans introduced animals, such as rabbits and goats, to the island. These animals eat plants and have completely wiped out many of the plants native to Round Island. Without the plants and their roots to hold the soil in place, rain can wash away and wind can blow away the soil that makes up the snake's habitat. Now, scientists estimate that 90 percent of the soil has disappeared.