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| Acrochordus | |
|---|---|
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| Acrochordus arafurae | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Superfamily: | Acrochordoidea |
| Family: | Acrochordidae Bonaparte, 1831 |
| Genus: | Acrochordus Hornstedt, 1787 |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Acrochordidae: List
Acrochordus: | |
TheAcrochordidae, commonly known aswart snakes,[3]Java wart snakes,[4]file snakes,elephant trunk snakes, ordogface snakes are amonogenericfamily of snakes.[3] The solegenusAcrochordus arebasalaquatic snakes found in Australia andtropical Asia, with three species recognized.[4]
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All are entirelyaquatic, lacking the broadbelly-scales found in most other snakes and possessingdorsally located eyes. Their most notable feature is their skin and scales. The skin is loose and baggy, giving the impression of being several sizes too large for the snake, and the scales, rather than overlapping, possess tinypyramidal projections that led to their common names. Adults grow to between 60 and 243 centimetres (24 and 96 in) in length.
This type of snake areambush predators, lurking at thebottom of rivers, streams andestuaries, and waiting for fish to approach, which they grip with their coils. The rough scales allow them to hold the fish despite the mucus coating.
Found fromwestern India andSri Lanka through tropicalSoutheast Asia to thePhilippines, south through theIndonesian island group toTimor, east throughNew Guinea to the northern coast of Australia toMussau Island, theBismarck Archipelago andGuadalcanal Island in theSolomon Islands.[2]
These animals are rapidly becoming rare as their hides are used for handbags andleather (stripped of scales, of course). Numerous attempts have been made by bothzoos andprivate reptile collectors to keep them, but in all cases, they have been reluctant to feed and prone to skin infections.
| Common name | Scientific name | IUCN Red List Status | Distribution | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arafura file snake[5] | Acrochordus arafurae McDowell, 1979 | LCIUCN[6] | New Guinea and northern Australia. | _in_captivity.jpg) |
| Little wart snake[7] | Acrochordus granulatus (Schneider, 1799) | LCIUCN[8] | Peninsular India,Sri Lanka,Myanmar, theAndaman Islands,Thailand,Cambodia,Vietnam, China, thePhilippines,Malaysia,Papua New Guinea, theSolomon Islands, and coastal northern Australia. | .jpg) |
| Elephant trunk snake[9] | Acrochordus javanicus Hornstedt, 1787 | LCIUCN[10] | Southeast Asia from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, south through Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (Sumatra,Java andBorneo). |  |
