Javan file snake
The Elephant trunk snake (Acrochordus javanicus) is a species of snake in the family Acrochordidae, a family which represents a group of primitive non-venomous aquatic snakes.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Pi
PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
Am
Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
Ov
OvoviviparousOvoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous an...
Aq
AquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract ...
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Non-venomousNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Elephant trunk snake has a wide and flat head, and its nostrils are situated on the top of the snout. Females are bigger than males. The dorsal side of the snake's body is brown, and its ventral side is pale yellow. The skin is baggy and loose giving the impression that it is too big for the animal. The skin is covered with small rough adjacent scales. The skin is also used in the tannery industry. The top of the head has no large shields but instead is covered with very small granular scales. There are no ventral scales. The body scales are in about 120 rows around the body. The body is stout, and the tail is short and prehensile.
Elephant trunk snakes are found in Southeast Asia west of the Wallace Line: southern Thailand, the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo (Kalimantan, Sarawak), a number of Indonesian islands (Java, Sumatra, and (possibly) Bali); possibly also in Cambodia and Vietnam. These snakes inhabit rivers, estuaries, and lagoons. They prefer freshwater and brackish environments.
Elephant trunk snakes are nocturnal creatures. They spend most of their life under water and rarely go on land. They can stay under water for up to 40 minutes. Elephant trunk snakes are fully adapted to live underwater so much so that their body cannot support their weight out of the water and leaving the water can cause them serious injury. Elephant trunk snakes are ambush predators and usually catch their prey by folding their bodies firmly around the prey. Their loose, baggy skin and their sharp scales find their utility by limiting any risk of escape of the prey, in particular fishes that have bodies covered with a viscous, protective mucus.
Elephant trunk snakes are carnivores (piscivores) and prey on fishes and amphibians.
Elephant trunk snakes are ovoviviparous. After the internal incubation of 5 to 6 months females of this species give birth to 6-17 live young. The young snakes are semi-terrestrial, until the time their baggy skin becomes fully developed.
Elephant trunk snakes are not considered threatened at present but in some areas of their native range, they suffer from the collection for the international skin trade.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Elephant trunk snake total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
