Family Acrochordidae (Wart Snakes)

Order Squamata
Infraorder Caenophidia (Colubroidea)

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Family Acrochordidae (Wart Snakes)

Only 3 species belong to this family.

Wart Snake (Acrochordus granulatus)

Appearance: Heavy-bodied snakes with skin lying loose in folds. Scales small, granular and non-overlapping, giving a rugose texture with the interstitial skin forming bristle-tipped tubercles. Adapted to aquatic lifestyle by dorsally-shifted eyes, valvular nostrils, and a flap for closing the lingual opening of the mouth. Acrochordus granulatus has a laterally compressed tail and lingual salt glands.

Size: 60-180 cm snout-vent length.

Distribution: Indo-Australian region

Habitat: Aquatic; estuarine-marine (Acrochordus granulatus) or living in freshwater (A. arafurae, A. javanicus).

Food: mainly fish.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous with litters ranging from 2 to 32 neonates (A. javanicus). Clutch size is correlated with body size. Acrochordus granulatus: 4-8 neonates.

Behavior: Slowly moving and swimming animals which often remain under water for a considerable time. On land they can move only clumsily

Taxonomy: The systematic status of the Acrochordidae has been unclear for many years: some authors placed them within the colubrids (as a subfamily), others such as UNDERWOOD (1967) placed them within the Henophidia. More recent authors placed the acrochordids within the caenophidian radiation (GROOMBRIDGE 1984, RIEPPEL 1988).