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Tentacled $nake!!!

Bram

Bram

New member
First, I feel silly using the $ for snake but the word "snake" in the title was what was stopping me from making the topic.
erp1.jpg

Erpeton Tentaculatum
I just found out about this weirdo a few days ago and have been fascinated since. There are some in a few zoos but I'd be surprised if many other people have even heard of them. So I thought I'd share.
They're from asia (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand) and fully aquatic. They live their whole lives almost entirely in the water living on fish and are supposed to be very clumsy on land. Nobody knows for sure what the "tentacles" are for.
There's very little information about them, and especially keeping them, online. Certainly not a beginners snake from some of the stories out there, but I can't help but be interested.
erp2.jpg
 
Those might be used as a sensory organ like Whiskers on a cat. It might help them feel around and search for prey in murky waters? Looking for prawn in crevices or other prey items.
 
That's one of the theories out there. I can't imagine it'd be all that hard to examine the tissue of a dead specimen to see how many nerves are concentrated in the tentacles.

In observable conditions they hunt by holding still in their attack position until a fish happens to swim in range, with sight seeming to be the main sense involved. But in murkier water they might have more use for them.

Apparently there are some at the Vancouver Aquarium, so I think I'll have to find a good excuse to ferry over there someday.
 
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