The Arafura File Snake is a species of aquatic snake that is native to parts of Northern Australia and New Guinea.
They are a large species of aquatic snake that can reach over 8 feet in length. However, they are usually a bit smaller than this.
Arafura File 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 Arafura File 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 Arafura File 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 Elephant Trunk Snake.
Species
The scientific name for the Arafura File Snake is Acrochordus arafurae and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
This species was first described in 1979 by an American herpetologist named Samuel Booker McDowell Jr.
Arafura File Snake Description
The Arafura File Snake is a non-venomous species of snake that has an average length of 1.5m. However, they can reach a maximum length of up to 2.5m.
They are a sexually dimorphic species with the female typically being larger than males.
They have microscopic scales that are heavily keeled which somewhat resembles a file, hence the name, File Snake.
These snakes have very saggy, loose skin. This kind of gives the illusion of an underweight snake what has saggy folds to its skin.
The majority of colors are light brown or grey with dark brown or black markings that extend from a broad vertebral band. These markings often appear as crossbands or blotches.
The underside of the snake is a little bit lighter, but the dark markings typically continue across the snake’s belly.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Arafura File Snake is native to the coastal areas of Northern Australia and parts of New Guinea.
File snakes are both nocturnal and aquatic, spending much of their time in the water.
They are a seasonal species and can be found in different habitats during different times of the year.
In the dry season, the Arafura File Snake likes to live in backwater lagoons and ponds.
When the wet season begins, file snakes move towards mangroves and flooded grasslands where food is plentiful.
Being a nocturnal species, these File Snakes are active at night and spend the day sleeping in aquatic vegetation or among tree roots.
These snakes can stay submerged for long periods and only come to the surface to replenish their oxygen supplies.
Arafura File Snake Diet
Fish is the primary food source for file snakes. The choice of prey depends on the snake’s size; larger species can eat fish weighing up to one kilogram.
Due to their sluggish, deliberate hunting approach and relatively low metabolic rates, these snakes feed less frequently (once a month) than the majority of snakes.
It is believed that File snakes have sensory organs in their tiny, granular scales that are likely used for locomotion, orientation, and prey sensing.