Acrochordus arafurae

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

Acrochordus arafurae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
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.

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. In New Guinea the skin is used to make drums.

In Aboriginal language and culture

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 the Kunwinjku language of West Arnhem Land, the snakes are known as kedjebe (or bekka in Eastern dialects),[5] while in the Yolŋu language of East Arnhem Land they are called djaykuŋ,[6] among other names.

References
  1. Sanders, K.; Guinea, M. & Cogger, H. (2010). "Acrochordus arafurae". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2010: e.T176764A7299709. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176764A7299709.en. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  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.
  5. Garde, Murray. "kedjebe". Bininj Kunwok Dictionary. Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  6. "djaykuŋ". Yolŋu Matha Dictionary. Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 10 June 2020.


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