Little File Snake

Identification and appearance

Fine pale bands cross a grey-brown body. Its loose skin and rough scales are characteristic of file snakes, but do not handle one to check texture. It lives in northern coastal and estuarine waters, including mangrove waterways.

Other names

Little Wart Snake, Marine File Snake, Wart Snake

Typical length

AROD lists an average size of about 60 cm and a reported maximum of 120 cm.

Key identification features

• Grey-brown body with fine pale bands
• Loose skin and rough scales
• Marine and estuarine habitat

Where it is found

Northern Australian coastal waters and mangrove-lined waterways; the species also occurs in south-east Asia.

Habitat

Uses coastal rivers, estuaries, mangrove waterways and marine waters in northern Australia.

Activity

Individuals have been observed at the water surface at night in a museum survey near Weipa.

Diet

AROD records small fish and aquatic invertebrates, including crustaceans and snails.

Reproduction

Gives birth to live young; AROD lists an average of four young per litter.

Medical significance

Non-venomous. If identity is uncertain and a snakebite is suspected, call 000 and follow snakebite first aid.

What to do if you encounter one

Give the snake space in the water or on shore. Do not catch, handle or approach it for a closer photograph.

Similar-looking snakes

Photo: garywwilson · CC BY 4.0 (Licence)

Acrochordidae

Arafura File Snake

Acrochordus arafurae

The Arafura File Snake is an aquatic northern Australian snake with loose skin and a dark, mesh-like pattern. It lives mainly in freshwater streams and billabongs but also enters estuaries and the sea.

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