Acrochordus arafurae

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	ACROCHORDIDAE

Scientific Name:

Acrochordus arafurae

Species Authority:

McDowell, 1979

Common Name/s:

English

–

Filesnake

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2010
Assessor/s:	Sanders, K., Guinea, M. & Cogger, H.
Reviewer/s:	Livingstone, S.R., Elfes, C.T., Polidoro, B.A. & Carpenter, K.E. (Global Marine Species Assessment Coordinating Team)
Justification: This is a freshwater species that has a relatively wide range in Northern Australia. The range expands during the wet season. This is a common species and there are no major threats at the current time. However, collection for food and the pet trade should be monitored to avoid over-collection. This species is listed as Least Concern.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	A. arafura is known from inland, freshwater habitats in southern Papua New Guinea, northern Australia and Indonesia (southernWest Papua Province; Cogger 1994). Its presence is not confirmed from the east coast of Cape York (K. Sanders pers. comm. 2008). In Indonesian New Guinea it is found as far west as Merauke (K. Sanders and Mumpuni pers. comm.) and Mimika and Lorentz Rivers (O'Shea 1996). The geographic distributions expand in the wet season in Australia (Shine and Lambeck 1985).
Countries:	Native: Australia; Indonesia (Irian Jaya); Papua New Guinea
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Range Description:

A. arafura is known from inland, freshwater habitats in southern Papua New Guinea, northern Australia and Indonesia (southernWest Papua Province; Cogger 1994). Its presence is not confirmed from the east coast of Cape York (K. Sanders pers. comm. 2008). In Indonesian New Guinea it is found as far west as Merauke (K. Sanders and Mumpuni pers. comm.) and Mimika and Lorentz Rivers (O'Shea 1996). The geographic distributions expand in the wet season in Australia (Shine and Lambeck 1985).

Countries:

Native:

Australia; Indonesia (Irian Jaya); Papua New Guinea

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This appears to be a common species within its range. A study of the population dynamics of A. arafurae in northern Australia surveyed over 3,400 snakes over a four-year period (Houston and Shine 1994). Using mark-recapture methods, snake densities were estimated to be greater than 400 individuals per hectare in the main study area, a higher density than usually found for most species of snakes.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	A. arafura primarily eats fish. It is known to inhabit billabongs of northern Australia and flooded grasslands in the wet season (Shine and Lambeck 1985). It is found in inland freshwater habitats (K. Sanders pers. comm. 2008). A trade-off between energy allocation to growth vs. reproduction has been evident in both sexes of this species. Growth rates decrease after maturation in males, and female filesnakes grow more slowly during years when they reproduce (Houston and Shine, 1994). Females are generally larger than the males. In Australia, reproduction is seasonal, with ovulation around July and parturition five or six months later (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b). A. arafurae seems poorly suited to commercial harvesting. Although its habitats are fragmented and generally accessible to harvesting, and it is seasonally vulnerable to hand collecting in large numbers, and females reproduce relatively infrequently (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b).
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

A. arafura primarily eats fish. It is known to inhabit billabongs of northern Australia and flooded grasslands in the wet season (Shine and Lambeck 1985). It is found in inland freshwater habitats (K. Sanders pers. comm. 2008).

A trade-off between energy allocation to growth vs. reproduction has been evident in both sexes of this species. Growth rates decrease after maturation in males, and female filesnakes grow more slowly during years when they reproduce (Houston and Shine, 1994). Females are generally larger than the males. In Australia, reproduction is seasonal, with ovulation around July and parturition five or six months later (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b).

A. arafurae seems poorly suited to commercial harvesting. Although its habitats are fragmented and generally accessible to harvesting, and it is seasonally vulnerable to hand collecting in large numbers, and females reproduce relatively infrequently (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b).

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats. In Australia, this species is a traditional food source for aboriginal people who collect them by hand seasonally, sometimes in large numbers; females are most easily caught and are targeted because of their large size (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b). A. arafurae seems poorly suited to commercial harvesting. Its habitats are fragmented and generally accessible to harvesting, it is seasonally vulnerable to hand collecting in large numbers and females reproduce relatively infrequently (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b). Numerous attempts have been made both by zoos and private reptile collectors to keep this species in captivity, but in most cases, they have been reluctant to feed and are prone to skin infections.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats.

In Australia, this species is a traditional food source for aboriginal people who collect them by hand seasonally, sometimes in large numbers; females are most easily caught and are targeted because of their large size (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b).

A. arafurae seems poorly suited to commercial harvesting. Its habitats are fragmented and generally accessible to harvesting, it is seasonally vulnerable to hand collecting in large numbers and females reproduce relatively infrequently (Shine et al. 1986a, 1986b).

Numerous attempts have been made both by zoos and private reptile collectors to keep this species in captivity, but in most cases, they have been reluctant to feed and are prone to skin infections.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are no specific conservation measures for in place for this species. The harvest should be monitored as over-collection could result in population declines. There is currently no quota or limits on numbers collected.

Conservation Actions:

There are no specific conservation measures for in place for this species. The harvest should be monitored as over-collection could result in population declines. There is currently no quota or limits on numbers collected.

Citation:	Sanders, K., Guinea, M. & Cogger, H. 2010. Acrochordus arafurae. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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