The Elephant Trunk Snake is a species of aquatic snake that has a large geographical range extending from India to the Solomon Islands.
Elephant Trunk Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Elephant Trunk Snake belongs to a family of snake called Acrochordidae. This is a family with only one genus associated with it.
The species in this family are aquatic snakes that can be found in the waters of India, South-East Asia and Northern Australia.
This family was just created to house the species of a single genus as these snakes didn’t fit into any other family of snake.
Genus
The genus that the Elephant Trunk Snake belongs to is called Acrochordus and there are currently three recognised species in this genus.
These snakes are often referred to as Wart Snakes, Java Wart Snakes, File Snakes or even Elephant Trunk Snakes.
The other two species in the genus are the Marine File Snake and the Arafura File Snake.
Species
The scientific name for the Elephant Trunk Snake is Acrochordus javanicus and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
This species was first described in 1787 by a Swedish taxonomist named Claës Fredrik Hornstedt.
Elephant Trunk Snake Description
A male Elephant Trunk Snake can grow to around five feet in length while females can often reach lengths of up to eight feet. The females are typically larger and bulkier than the males.
The snake’s belly has a light-yellow tint, while the sides and top of the snake is brown in color. They have rough scales that resemble a file, hence the name File Snake. Their skin is also loose and saggy.
A distinct triangle ridge can be seen on each scale and there is no overlap between the scales as they form next to one another.
The head of the Snake is flat and broad with the nostrils situated at the top side of its head. This is where they get their common name.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Elephant Trunk Snake can be found along the coasts of India, throughout much of South-East Asia and all the way to the Solomon Islands and other Indo-Australian islands.
They like to live in the brackish parts of rivers, streams, and estuaries but they can also tolerate salinity and will occasionally swim into the ocean in search of food.
It can also be found in a variety of other habitats including flood plains and freshwater swamps and mangroves.
Elephant Trunk Snake Behaviour
The Elephant Trunk Snake is a nocturnal species spending most of the day hiding or sleeping. They become active after dark when they will swim around in search of food.
This non venomous snake wraps its body around its prey and constricts it firmly, similarly to other constrictor snakes. with its prehensile tail and sharp scales.
They rarely venture ashore as these snakes are built for the water. Their loose skin prevents them from moving quickly on land so they are much more agile in water.
They spend most of their time submerged and can go up to 40 minutes without surfacing for air.
The snake floats to the water’s surface when it needs to breathe and holds its nostrils above the surface. The majority of the snake can stay submerged.
These snakes are carnivores, feeding exclusively on other animals. It mostly eats fish and other aquatic wildlife such as frogs.
