Tentacled Snake

Erpeton tentaculatum

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the tentacled snake. This may be the most easily identified snake alive today. Their namesake nose tentacles set them apart from every other known serpent species. Originally, this species was also known as the "fishing snake" as it was believed those fancy face feelers were used to lure fish in like the tongue of a snapping turtle, however, observational evidence didn't back this up. While the tentacled snake absolutely eats fish, it goes about "fishing" in a different way. By the way, this episode was a request from one of our Patrons. If you are able, come join our community on Patreon!

The tentacled snake lives in slow-moving waterways of southeast Asia such as swamps, lakes, ponds, paddy fields, and more. They're specifically from Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but they've also been introduced outside this range to places like Florida. In their natural habitat, these reptiles spend almost if not their entire life underwater. There are very few fully aquatic reptiles. Even sea turtles must come ashore to lay their eggs, but tentacled snakes don't have to worry about this. Instead, like a boa, tentacled snake mothers retain their eggs inside their body until the eggs hatch and the young are born live. Of course, in the case of the tentacled snake this takes place underwater. Female tentacled snakes give birth from five to just over a dozen babies. It's unknown how long these reptiles live in the wild, though care sheets recommend at least a decade lifespan in captivity.

Threats to tentacled snakes include bacterial and fungal infections which are especially prominent in captive settings where owners are unable to maintain proper acidity levels in the water. They may also be taken from their home for their skin and for use as food for other animals like captive-kept crocodiles.

Tentacled snakes are primarily diurnal, aestivating in mud during the night or dry season. Aestivation is a sort of like hibernation where the snake rests for a stretch of time until the environmental conditions are more favorable. Since they can't get around on dry land, tentacled snakes simply snooze during the driest parts of the year. When they are active, they're not really active. Tentacled snakes are sit-and-wait predators. They remain motionless in the water until their prey comes to them. This was part of the original "lure" assumption for the snake's tentacles, but it's now believed their tentacles help sense the water, like a matamata's skin flaps or a catfish's barbels. Tentacled snakes are brown to yellow with spots and stripes that make them look very much like a submerged stick. They can reach about 20 inches (51 centimeters) in length.

Tentacled snakes hook their tail around an anchor like a log in the water and stiffen their body so it even more closely resembles a stick; they'll even maintain this rigid pose when removed from the water. Just their head and neck form a J-shaped curve which primes them for eating fish. These reptiles exploit a fish's innate response to move away from unknown stimuli in the water. So, as a fish swims by, the tentacled snake moves its body to frighten the fish in the other direction right into its waiting mouth. Tentacled snakes still need to breathe air, so they position themselves with their head near the water's surface, though they can remain submerged for 30 minutes at a time. While they have venom, they're rear-fanged snakes and are considered harmless to humans. They will, however, snack on a frog or crab if the opportunity arises.

For more facts on the tentacled snake, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!