Reptiles · Squamata · Acrochordidae

Elephant Trunk Snake

Acrochordus javanicus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Acrochordus javanicus, generally known as the elephant trunk snake or Javan file snake, is a species of snake belonging to the family Acrochordidae, which represents a primitive group of non-venomous aquatic snakes. It is also kept as an exotic pet.

Weight

2 kg – 10 kg

Size

1.5 m – 2.5 m

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

Its rough skin is a hunting tool: it coils around a fish and the granular scales act like sandpaper, stopping the prey from slipping away, a problem other aquatic snakes solve with long teeth.
It is so aquatic that on land it is practically helpless: its loose skin and the lack of broad belly scales stop it crawling effectively out of water.
It is caught on a huge scale for its skin for leather goods: millions of animals a year come out of the rivers of Indonesia and Malaysia for the exotic leather trade.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Rivers, estuaries, mangroves and fresh and brackish water channels of South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 5.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 25 live young

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrochordus_javanicus