Acrochordus granulatus

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Little File Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Acrochordidae
Genus:	Acrochordus
Species:	A. granulatus

Binomial name

Acrochordus granulatus
(Schneider, 1799)

Marine File Snake or Little File Snake (Acrochordus granulatus) is a species of snake in family Acrochordidae. This species is suspected to be parthenogenetic.

These snakes inhabit brackish estuaries, and have been found at sea. They are fully aqautic snakes unable to function outside of water and have thin skin which rips easily. However the skin is file-like, which is where their common name comes from. This is used for the purposes of underwater constriction, the acrochord's primary method of obtaining and killing prey. Females of the family are ambush predators while males actively forage. They are sexually dimorphic, males being much smaller and having higher contrast.

1 Distribution
2 Habitat
3 Food
4 Breeding
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Distribution

This species is found in waters around China (Hainan), New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Australia (along the coast of North Territory, Queensland, West Australia), Indonesia (Ambon, Flores, Irian Jaya, Java, Jobi, Schouten, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Ternate, Timor, We); Bangladesh; Cambodia; India (including Nicobar Islands); Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia); Myanmar (Burma); Philippine Islands (including Palawan: Calamian Islands, Panay); Singapore; Sri Lanka, Thailand; Vietnam. Papua New Guinea (including many satellite islands).

[edit] Habitat

This snake is found mainly in water bodies like small ponds, swamps and estuaries.

[edit] Food

According to Shine, 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.

[edit] Breeding

Parthenogenetic reproduction occurred once in a pair of A. arufurae.

[edit] References

Greer, A.E. 2006. Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles. Australian Museum Online

[1] Version date: 7 August 2006.

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