Acrochordus granulatus

Acrochordus granulatus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Acrochordidae
Genus:	Acrochordus
Species:	A. granulatus
Binomial name
Acrochordus granulatus (Schneider, 1799)
Synonyms
[Hydrus] Granulatus - Schneider, 1799 [Anguis] Granulatus vel Acrochordus - Scheider, 1801 [Anguis] Granulatus - Scheider, 1801 Acrochordus Fasciatus - Shaw, 1802 Pelamis granulatus - Daudin, 1803 Chersydrus [fasciatus] - Cuvier, 1817 [Chersydrus] granulatus - Merrem, 1820 C[hersydreas]. granulatus - Gray, 1825 Acrochordus granulatus - Cantor, 1847 Chersydrus annulatus - Gray, 1849 Potamophis fasciata - Schmidt, 1852 Chersydrus fasciatus - Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 Acrochordus fasciatus - Schlegel, 1872 Chersydrus granulatus - Boulenger, 1893 [Chersydrus] g[ranulatus]. granulatus - Loveridge, 1938 Chersydrus granulatus luzonensis - Loveridge, 1938 Acrochordus granulatus - M.A. Smith, 1943 Acrochordus granulatus granulatus - Loveridge, 1948 Achrochordus granulatus granulatus - Mitchell, 1955 Acrochordus granulatus - McDowell, 1979

Common names: little file snake, marine file snake, little wart snake.

Acrochordus granulatus is a snake species found from India through Southeast Asia to the Solomon Islands. It is completely aquatic and almost helpless on land. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Description

This species is completely aquatic and nearly helpless on land. Their thin skin rips easily, but has a very rough texture; hence their common name. They are sexually dimorphic, with males being much smaller (thinner and longer bodies), compared to the larger (short stocky) females. Most interesting is that this species varies between sexes in feeding habits, the males actively hunt prey whereas the females sit and wait as ambush predators (Shine, 1991). They are found mainly in small ponds, swamps and estuaries, but have also been found at sea.

In recent years, this species also entered the pet trade. Farmed animals usually used for skins are the primary source of importation. Animals from the Philippines are particularly blue, and rarely enter the pet trade since reptile exportation from the Philippines is strictly banned. This snake is a non-venomous constrictor unlike most fully aquatic Asian snakes which are rear fanged.

Geographic range

Found from both coasts of peninsular India though Southeast Asia, the Indo-Australian Archipelago and northern Australia to the Solomon Islands. This includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China (Hainan), the Philippines (Luzon, Cebu and Batayan), Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Flores, Timor, Sulawesi, Ternate, Ambon, and coastal Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands the coast along northern Australia (Northern Territory and eastern Queensland). No type locality was given with the original description, although Smith (1943) gives "India" and Saint-Girons (1972) gives "Inde."

Feeding

According to Shine (1991), 50% of the acrochords tested for stomach contents yielded either rainbow fish, grunters, cat fish or sleepy cod. There is no evidence suggesting that they feed on amphibians. Occasionally known to eat eels. Their rough skin is used for the purpose of underwater constriction, which is how they hold onto their prey. Females ambush predators while males forage actively.

See also

• List of snakes.

Further reading

• Greer, A.E. 2006. Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles. Australian Museum Online. Accessed 16 August 2007.
• Shine, R. 1991. Australian Snakes, a Natural History. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.
• Smith, M.A. 1943 The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-Region. Reptilia and Amphibia. 3 (Serpentes). Taylor and Francis, London. 583 pp.
• Wall, Frank 1921 Ophidia Taprobanica or the Snakes of Ceylon. Colombo Mus. (H. R. Cottle, govt. printer), Colombo. xxii, 581 pages

External links

• Acrochordus.com. Accessed 16 August 2007.
• Image of Acrochordus granulatus at the Institute of Toxicology and Genetics. Accessed 16 August 2007.
• Videos of A. granulatus feeding in captivity.
• Little Filesnakes at Life is Short but Snakes are Long
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/176769/0).