Acrochordus arafurae

Acrochordus arafurae
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Acrochordidae
Genus:	Acrochordus
Species:	A. arafurae
Binomial name
Acrochordus arafurae McDowell, 1979
Synonyms
Acrochordus javanicus - Boulenger, 1893 Acrochordus javanicus - Flower, 1899 Acrochordus javanicus - Wall, 1903 Acrochordus javanicus - Lidth de Jeude, 1911 Acrochordus javanicus - Barbour, 1812 Acrochordus javanicus - Boulenger, 1914 Acrochordus javanicus - de Rooij, 1917 Acrochordus javanicus - Kinghorn, 1929 Acrochordus javanicus - Thomson, 1935 Acrochordus javanicus - Barrett, 1950 Acrochordus javanicus - De Haas, 1950 Achrochordus javanicus - Mitchell, 1955 Acrochordus javanicus - Kinghorn, 1956 Acrochordus javanicus - Worrell, 1963 Achrochordus javanicus - Cogger, 1964 Acrochordus javanicus - Mitchell, 1964 Acrochordus javanicus - Dunson & Dunson, 1973 Acrochordus javanicus - Cogger, 1975 Acrochordus arafurae - McDowell, 1979[2]

Common names: Arafura File snake, Elephant Trunk Snake or wrinkle file snake.

Acrochordus arafurae is an aquatic snake species found in northern Australia and New Guinea. No subspecies are currently recognized.^[3]

Description

Adults grown to 8.25 ft (2.5 m) in length.^[4] They have amazingly loose skin and are known to prey on large fish, such as eel-tailed catfish. Females are usually larger than males and they have been known to give birth to up to 17 young. The indigenous peoples of northern Australia often hunt these snakes as they are quite common. As the snakes are near immobilized without the support of water the hunters merely throw each newly caught snake on the bank and continue hunting until they have enough. In New Guinea the skin is used to make drums.

See also

• Acrochordidae by common name
• Acrochordidae by taxonomic synonyms

References

1. Sanders, K., Guinea, M. & Cogger, H. (2010). "Acrochordus arafurae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
2. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
3. "Acrochordus arafurae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
4. Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. Dorling Kindersley. 624 pp. ISBN 0-7894-7764-5.

External links

• Acrochordus.com
• Species Acrochordus arafurae at The Reptile Database. Accessed 16 August 2007.

• Arafura Filesnakes at Life is Short but Snakes are Long