The non-venomous water snake known as the elephant trunk snake (Acrochordus javanicus) is indigenous to Asia and Australia. The snake is mostly found near the seaside. Elephant trunk snakes are known for its loose skin and elephant trunk-like appearance. They can reach a length of eight feet.
Elephant trunk snakes are challenging to maintain. They are easily stressed out and unable to cope. Since the majority of trunk snakes are wild-caught, acclimating them is difficult. Snake keepers with experience will find the challenge worthwhile.
Overview of the Elephant Trunk Snake
| Category | Rating |
| Common Name(s): | Elephant trunk snake, (Javan file snake) |
| Scientific Name: | Acrochordus javanicus |
| Natural Habitat: | Coastal areas, brackish, warm freshwater, blackwater |
| Adult Size: | Up to 8 ft |
| Average Lifespan: | 5 years |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Housing: | Aquarium, hiding spots, foliage, sandy substrate |
| Experience Level: | Advanced |
Origin
Acrochordus javanicus, sometimes known as the elephant trunk snake, is a native of Asia and Australia. This aquatic snake thrives in warm, brackish water and inhabits coastal locations.
Elephant trunk snakes are frequent inhabitants of blackwater areas, and they thrive in shallow water where they may more easily locate Food and refuge. These snakes can stay underwater for 40 minutes but rarely travel into deep water.
In the wild, hunters target elephant trunk snakes. Their skin and meat are highly sought after. The population of the snake has decreased due to habitat destruction. Elephant trunk snakes in the wild are still common, nevertheless. These snakes are not listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Manifestation and conduct
Tan-colored elephant trunk snakes have a pale yellow ventral (belly). Elephant trunk snakes have loose, saggy, wrinkled skin. Small and rough scales are present. There is a triangular ridge on each scale.
Elephant trunk snakes have a short tail and a strong body. They have a body that is the same width as their head, which is broad and snouted. The top of the snake’s head is where its eyes and nostrils are located. The elephant trunk snake’s popular name comes from the way that its body resembles an elephant trunk.
Elephant trunk snakes have different sex types. Elephant trunk snakes are larger and longer in females than in males. Males are noticeably less muscular and thinner.
Elephant trunk snakes are almost exclusively caught in the wild, and many of them have white spot fungus on their skin. If the water conditions are suitable and the snake is not under stress, the fungus will disappear after it sheds. Once every few months, elephant trunk snakes shed their skin. As they adapt to their surroundings, the snakes shed less regularly.
Size and Duration
Elephant trunk snake males can reach a length of five feet. Trunk snakes can grow up to eight feet long and are typically twice as large as males. These snakes can live up to five years in captivity and have an average lifespan of four years in the wild. Elephant trunk snakes typically weigh six to 22 pounds.
Temperament
Elephant trunk snakes are timid and infrequently hostile to people. Stress is a problem for these snakes. Avoid dealing with elephant trunk snakes, and make as little noise and movement as possible. Separately house elephant trunk snakes. Each snake will be able to feel safer and more at ease when eating as a result.
The baggy skin of an elephant trunk snake enables it to catch prey and travel swiftly through the water. They are nocturnal snakes. Elephant trunk snakes are known to forage and to hunt in ambushes. A snake with an elephant trunk can submerge itself for 40 minutes. When it needs to breathe, it will come to the surface and extend its nostrils into the air for 15 to 20 seconds.
Stay away from these snakes. Due to the high level of stress involved in handling, the elephant trunk snake’s wellbeing and health may suffer. If provoked, elephant trunk snakes will bite. Because the snake’s teeth can break off and become lodged in human flesh, bites can result in catastrophic harm.
a facility for elephant trunk snakes
Wild populations of elephant trunk snakes can be found along coastlines. With plenty of cover and brackish blackwater, these snakes thrive. Housing must resemble the snake’s natural environment.
A fish tank is necessary for elephant trunk snakes. Being an aquatic animal, they cannot last for extended periods of time without water. The aquarium ought to contain places to hide, vegetation, and leaf litter. Elephant trunk snakes will attempt to escape from the tank, so it needs a tight-fitting lid.
Case dimensions
A 150-gallon aquarium or bigger is required for adult elephant trunk snakes. This size gives the snake plenty of room to swim around and spread out. Keep baby elephant trunk snakes in a 15- to 30-gallon tank until they reach 20 inches in length. Half of the tank should be filled with water.
Lighting
These snakes may grow drowsy or anxious if they are exposed to too much light. Since they are nocturnal, elephant trunk snakes spend the most of the day hiding. To maintain their circadian rhythm, these snakes need a low-level UV lamp that simulates a natural day-and-night cycle. Ideal daylight hours per day are twelve. When it’s the proper time of year and place, indirect natural light can be effective.
Water quality and temperature
Elephant trunk snakes prefer a temperature range of 84 to 86°F. To maintain a constant temperature, use a heater. These snakes are susceptible to stress and illness from changing temperatures. Make sure the water temperature is maintained at the proper level by checking it every day.
Snake keepers should create a thermogradient in their tanks, with a hotter basking region. Ideal basking temperatures range from 88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
In brackish water with a pH balance of 5 to 7.0, elephant trunk snakes flourish. To create a blackwater atmosphere, use dried leaves. These leaves will exude tannins that will discolor and acidify the water. Leaf litter should be changed every two weeks.
Make sure the filtering system can manage the bioload (waste) without producing a lot of current. Shallow, still water is optimal for elephant trunk snakes. The flow can be diluted with decorations. Stay away from internal filters that vibrate vigorously. Vibrations might agitate the snake and interfere with its ability to hunt.
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Substance and Adornment
Elephant trunk snakes are solitary creatures that need somewhere to hide in order to feel comfortable and secure. Create a variety of hiding places throughout the aquarium. Build hiding places out of logs, driftwood, ceramic pots, caverns, and vegetation.
Make sure the decorations are substantial—heavy, knotted, or with a weighted foundation. Elephant trunk snakes are powerful and can quickly knock over delicate ornaments. Working well is mopani wood. This wood disperses tannins into the water, is heavy, and doesn’t float.
Create a basking area with cork bark in the hotter area. The snake will have a platform to relax on because this bark will float. In addition to provide protection, cork bark will release tannins into the water. Additionally effective for top coverage is floating hornwort.
Live plants will be uprooted by elephant trunk snakes. Plants need to be tied or secured. No substrate is required. The elephant trunk snake’s natural environment can be most accurately simulated with a soft, sand floor, but it can be difficult to maintain.
The top of the tank must be a solid screen. Elephant trunk snakes are skilled escape artists and agile.
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Cleaning
To keep everything clean, perform a 15% to 25% partial water change each week. Every few weeks, change the leaf litter, vacuum the substrate, and clean the canister filter. Remove soiled decorations and, if necessary, give them a thorough disinfecting solution. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any debris or grime that has become trapped.
Be sure to wash your hands and arms before beginning the cleaning. Keepers of snakes should refrain from disturbing elephant trunk snakes while cleaning or changing the water. Before cleaning, wait for the snake to retreat to a hiding place.
Care for Elephant Trunk Snakes
Elephant trunk snakes are challenging to maintain. Stress and health problems, particularly white spot fungus, are common in these snakes. Elephant trunk snakes are commonly collected in the wild and have a difficult time adjusting to life in captivity.
Elephant trunk snakes will flourish in a blackwater setting with lots of cover and hiding places. An elephant trunk snake’s food consists of amphibians and live fish. Handling these snakes is not advised. Stress and injury might result from handling.
Food
In the wild, carnivorous elephant trunk snakes consume frogs and fish. These snakes can be expensive to feed. Elephant trunk snakes must primarily be fed live fish because of their voracious appetites. Feed your snake occasionally live amphibians, such as frogs.
Elephant trunk snakes enjoy the flavor of tilapia as a food source. These fish are readily available in most neighborhood fish markets, are very nutrient-dense, and cost little. Guppies, mollies, big bullfrog tadpoles, and prisoner cichlids are other feeds. Although readily available and adequate for elephant trunk snakes, rosy red minnows are not as nutrient-dense as other fish. The best thing to feed baby elephant trunk snakes is fried.
Make sure that live feeder fish are available on a regular basis. Initially, include 10 to 12 fish. When there are only three or fewer fish left, top off the tank. While adult fish can consume up to four fish every week, young elephant trunk snakes only consume one to two fish each week. The right size of feeder fish must be used for the snake. These fish ought to be smaller than the body width of the elephant trunk snake. Elephant trunk snakes’ loose skin prevents them from bloating up after eating.
Elephant trunk snakes prowl during night. These snakes ambush their victim and then imprison it by encircling it with their bodies. These snakes don’t feel at ease eating in close proximity to people, and they may be reluctant to eat if they are feeling shy or anxious. After adding the feeder fish to the aquarium, leave right away.
Typical Health Problems
Elephant trunk snakes are susceptible to a number of illnesses. Many snakes in captivity don’t make it. White spot fungus, which results in tiny white spots appearing on the snake’s skin, is the most frequent health problem affecting elephant trunk snakes.
This particular form of fungus is not adequately targeted by all commercial fungus therapies. The most effective long-term treatment is to maintain steady and suitable water conditions. Because stress can also result in white spot fungus, elephant trunk snakes should not be exposed to stressful situations.
Once the elephant trunk snake sheds, the white spot fungus will vanish. The white spots must be properly cared for and treated to keep them from reappearing.
Breeding
Elephant trunk snakes are hardly ever bred in captivity in the US. Any breeding that does occur uses gravid females that have been captured from the wild.
Ovoviviparous elephant trunk snakes are found. Within the snake, eggs grow and hatch, and the young are subsequently delivered alive. On average, incubation lasts for six months. Females can have six to 17 children.
Purchase and Selection of an Elephant Trunk Snake
Elephant trunk snakes range in price from $80 to $150, although they are rare. In some cases, speciality reptile shops carry these snakes. Elephant trunk snakes are almost exclusively imported, which exposes them to stress and unfavorable water quality.
Elephant trunk snakes that are ill will have white spot fungus on their skin, be lethargic, and have little appetite. Due to their aquatic nature and high care requirements, these snakes are only appropriate for experienced snake keepers.
