Acrochordus arafurae

Acrochordus arafurae, known by the common names Arafura file snake, elephant trunk snake, and wrinkle file snake, is an aquatic snake species found in northern Australia and New Guinea. No subspecies are currently recognized.^[3]

Acrochordus arafurae
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
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]

This snake was first described by Samuel Booker McDowell in 1979^[4][5]

Description

Adults grow to 8.25 ft (2.5 m) in length.^[6] They have very 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 skin is used to make drums in New Guinea.

In Aboriginal language and culture

Arafura file snakes are often hunted by indigenous peoples of Northern Australia.

In the Kunwinjku language of West Arnhem Land, the snakes are known as kedjebe (or bekka in Eastern dialects),^[7] while in the Yolŋu language of East Arnhem Land they are called djaykuŋ,^[8] among other names.