Acrochordidae · Global account with Philippine editorial coverage
Little filesnake
Acrochordus granulatus(SCHNEIDER, 1799)
Length
Length not yet addedAtlas entry awaiting completion
Venom status
Venom classification not yet addedHuman effects: atlas summary awaiting completion
Known venom effects
Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
An aquatic fish-eater found in coastal habitats and, in the Philippines, freshwater Lake Taal. Its ecology is distinct from that of the venomous elapid sea snakes.
OccurrenceConfirmed
Islands named5
Natural history5 sourced topics
References4
Literature updated 2026-10-07 · Editorial review pending
Developing embryos were present in January and full-term embryos in May in the Phangnga Bay sample. Young were first captured in June. Larger mothers carried more offspring.
This seasonal sequence is not a Philippine breeding calendar.
Philippine distribution
The atlas records Acrochordus granulatus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Cebu, Calamian. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
Literature documented · Existing checklist occurrence statement and distribution review
The original evidence level is retained.
A country listing cannot establish an island or a precise locality.
Taxonomic context
Acrochordus granulatus is retained in the atlas’s dated checklist under Acrochordidae. The authority is (SCHNEIDER 1799). Earlier names and the original source notes are preserved below for comparison.
Literature documented · Checklist identity and nomenclatural trail
Checklist verified 2026-09-05; not a newly revised taxonomic backbone.
Historical names can cover different biological concepts; synonyms should not be used to transfer records automatically.
Across the archipelago
Where this species is recorded
PhilippinesN ↑
Documented islands: gold · island groups: dashed circles
Island-level records · not continuous habitat coverage. Dashed circles locate groups, not individual observations.
Philippine distribution
Documented places
5 named islands / island groups
Select an island to read its distribution record and sources. Uncoloured islands are not evidence of absence.
Distribution record & sources
China (Hainan),
Australia (along the coast of Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
Indonesia (Ambon, Borneo, Flores, Irian Jaya, Java, Bali, Jobi, Schouten, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Ternate, Timor, We, Komodo); Timor-Leste; Cambodia;
India (Kerala, Gujarat, including Nicobar Islands);
Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia);
Myanmar (Burma); Philippines (including Palawan: Calamian Islands, Panay, Luzon, Cebu);
Singapore; Sri Lanka, Thailand; Vietnam.
Papua New Guinea (including many satellite islands), Solomon Islands
Type locality: not given (fide MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997); “Madras, India” (fide SANG et al. 2009)
The atlas records Acrochordus granulatus from these named Philippine areas: Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Cebu, Calamian. These are literature areas rather than a continuous range boundary.
Venom classification not yet added · Effects not yet summarised in this atlas
Observe from a distance. Do not handle, corner or capture a snake to identify it. An incomplete venom account is not evidence that a species is safe to handle.
After a suspected snakebite, keep the person still and arrange urgent medical care. Avoid tight tourniquets, cutting, suction and unproven remedies. Do not wait to identify the snake before seeking help.
2018 Philippine synopsis treatment plus current RDB listing
Islands named
Luzon, Palawan, Panay, Cebu, Calamian
Range noteCountry/island text is not a range polygon or locality record.
Source distribution statement
China (Hainan),
Australia (along the coast of Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
Indonesia (Ambon, Borneo, Flores, Irian Jaya, Java, Bali, Jobi, Schouten, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Ternate, Timor, We, Komodo); Timor-Leste; Cambodia;
India (Kerala, Gujarat, including Nicobar Islands);
Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia);
Myanmar (Burma); Philippines (including Palawan: Calamian Islands, Panay, Luzon, Cebu);
Singapore; Sri Lanka, Thailand; Vietnam.
Papua New Guinea (including many satellite islands), Solomon Islands
Type locality: not given (fide MANTHEY & GROSSMANN 1997); “Madras, India” (fide SANG et al. 2009)
Knowledge coverage
EndemismResearch pending
EcologyLiterature documented
VenomVenom classification not yet added Effects not yet summarised in this atlasDetailed research: Research pending
Distribution: Does not occur in Pakistan fide KHAN (pers. comm.). There is one record from Japan (Amami-oshima Island, Ryukyu Archipelago); however, this is dubious and the specimen may have been introduced (Takata et al. 2023, I. Fukuyama, pers. comm., 22 Sep 2024). Not in Bangladesh fide Al Haidar et al. 2025.
Genome: Roberts et al. 2024.
References attached to this record
2026
The Reptile Database — species checklist, 17 June 2026
Food Habits and Distribution of the Lake Taal Sea Snake (Hydrophis semperi Garman 1881) and the Sympatric Little File Snake (Acrochordus granulatus Schneider 1799) in Lake Taal, Philippines
Garcia, V. O. S.; Papa, R. D. S.; Briones, J. C. A.; Mendoza, N.; Okuda, N.; Diesmos, A. C.