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Tentacled Snakes (Erpeton tentaculatum), family Homalopsidae, Bangkok, Thailand

Aquatic and piscivorous

Rear-fanged, mildly venomous

The tentacled have a mechanosensory function, able to detect small movements in the water.

Photograph by Tommy Hui

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Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Some snakes might look like a tentacle, but some snakes actually have tentacles! The tentacled snake is adorned with two short 'tentacles' on its snout; in actuality they are more akin to a catfish's whiskers, as they help the snake detect prey in the murky waters where it hunts.

(Image: A tentacled snake (Erpeton tentaculatum) by Nick Michalski

#tentacled snake #Serpentes #Homalopsidae #Indo-Australian water snakes #snakes #reptiles #uncharismatic facts

Wet Beast Wednesday: tentacled snake

It's another week of spooky month and another fittingly spooky animal for Wet Beast Wednesday. Last week I covered a spider so this time I'm going to cover another commonly-feared animal: a snake. And this snake also adds tentacles, another horror trope. Lots of snakes can swim, but few spend most of their lives in the water. I already covered sea snakes, so it's time for a mostly freshwater snake.

(image: a tentacled snake emerging from a thick covering of algae on a log. It is a tan-colored snake with dark markings and stripes going down its length. The head is angular, with two short, slender projections emerging from the snout. End ID)

The tentacled snake (Erpeton tentaculatum) is kind of living a lie because it doesn't actually have tentacles. What it does have are two long, skinny appendages emerging from the snout next to the nostrils. These appendages are unique, found in no other snake species. They are extremely sensitive mechanoreceptors used to detect movement of the water, such as that make by swimming prey. Nerves in the tentacles lead to the same region of the brain as the optic nerve in the eye. The combination of visual and tentacle sensory input make the snakes extremely skilled at hunting small fish. Tests have shown that they can use the tentacles to hunt in complete darkness, but they are more effective in light. Other than them, the snake is fairly normal looking. They reach around 50 to 90 cm (20 to 35 in) in length and have rough scales. Their nostrils can close when underwater, a feature not common in land snakes. They are venomous, with fangs near the rear of the mouth. Tentacles snakes come in mottled and striped color morphs and can be gray, brown or light tan in color. They look very similar to sticks when holding still.

(Image: a close-up shot of a tentacled snake's head, showing the tentacles and eye in detail. End ID)

Tentacled snakes live in southeast Asia, particularity in Cambodia, Thailand, and southern Vietnam. They prefer still or slow-moving habitats with murky water, such as streams, lakes, and rice paddies. While primarily found in fresh water, tentacled snakes can live in brackish and salt water as well. Tentacled snakes live almost their entire lives underwater and can go up to 30 minutes between breaths. They are slow and clumsy on land, leaving them vulnerable to predators. When tentacled snakes do come on land, it is usually to burrow into mud, which they will do to wait out dry seasons or harsh conditions.

(image: a rare shot of a tentacled shot on land, showing it lying on some fallen leaves. End ID)

Tentacled snakes are predators specializing in small fish, but have also been recorded eating frogs and crabs. The snakes employ a unique hunting strategy that involves clinging onto something underwater and adopting a pose like the letter J while holding very still. When a fish approaches, they can use one of a few methods to attack. In ideal circumstances, a fish will approach the crook of the J. In this case, the snake has a strategy that uses the fish's own defenses against them. Most fish have a defense called the C-start response. In this, special paired neutrons called Mauthner cells on either side of the brain will respond to sudden movement in the water by triggering the fish to bend into a shape like the letter C. This shape primes them to be able to dart away from threats in multiple possible directions. The tentacled snake can vibrate its body at just the right time to trigger a C-start response in fish that get too close. Because of the position of the fish within the crook of the J, they will usually C-start into the or at least toward the snake's mouth, allowing for an easy capture. The whole exchange takes about 1/25th of a second. When fish approach the snake from other directions it can still hunt them with sudden quick strikes. In these cases, the fish will rarely C-start toward the head, making them harder to catch. In these cases, the snake had adapted to be able to aim for where it expects the fish to be rather than where it currently is. This behavior is instinctive rather than learned. Even newborns can estimate the trajectory and location of a moving fish.

(Image: multiple (at least 4) tentacled snakes in a fish tank, two of which can be seen in their hunting posture. They are holding their bodies out into the water. Most of the body is straight, but the head is curled back, making a shape like the letter J. End ID)

Little is known about the lifespan and reproductive habits of tentacled snakes. They are ovoviviparous, meaning the females retain their eggs instead of laying them. The eggs hatch internally and the mother gives live birth. Tentacled snakes are independent from birth. They are born underwater and are fully capable of hunting and swimming immediately. Their life span in captivity has been reported to last at least 10 years.

(Image: a juvenile tentacled snake held in the hand of a zookeeper. It is dark brown and small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. End ID)

Tentacled snakes are currently classified as least concern by the IUCN, meaning they are not in danger of extinction. They are capable of thriving in human-altered habitat like artificial ponds and rice paddies, giving them an advantage in human-dominated areas. While the snakes are venomous, their venom is not dangerous the humans and bites are not considered medically threatening. They have entered the exotic pet trade. Most tentacled snakes in the pet trade are wild-caught, as they are difficult to breed in captivity. On the other hand, the National Zoo in Washington D.C. once accidentally bred them. The handlers didn't even realize the female was pregnant until some time after birth. The offspring were not noticed right away due to their camouflage.

EAT A TASTY FISH (Image: A tentacled snake eating a fish. The head and throat are distended by the fish's size. The fish's tail is sticking out of the snake's mouth. End ID)

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