Scientific Name: Erpeton tentaculatum
	Geographical Range: Southeast Asia - Thailand and across to Kampuchea (formerly   Cambodia)
	Habitat: Slightly acidic, stagnant waters of shallow debth.
	Diet in the Wild: Fish
	Conservation Status: Not endangered
	Location in the Zoo: Herpetarium
Physical Description: A small snake with keeled scales, small ventral scutes, and a pair of flat, oval projections at the tip of the snout. These two tentacles on the rostral side of its snout, is the most distinctive part of the snake. The tail makes up for 25 % of its total body length. It is approximately 28 to 36 inches long (70-90 cm)	Social Organization: Family Colubridae (Rear-fanged snakes)
Special Adaptations: This snake is an ambush hunter and it assumes a certain pre-strike posture.They anchor themselves to a submerged branch with their tails and prey on small fish as they swim by. These snakes are totally aquatic and nearly helpless on land. The tentacles are soft, and fall to the side when the snake is out of the water.They must surface to breathe.   They are venomous.Fangs are small and located in the back of the mouth.	Picture courtesy of Hanneskei  http://www.geocities.com/hanneskei/Snakes.html
Reproductive Behavior:  Bears live young and captive breeding is not uncommon.	The Animal at the Zoo: Herpetarium
	Page Author: Stephanie Reder, mailto:lilred_2002_15@hotmail.com Sources and Links: http://www.geocities.com/hanneskei/Snakes.html http://www.indyzoo.com/snakes/tentacled%20snake.htm http://www.curator.org/LegacyVMNH/WebOfLife/Kingdom/ P_Chordata/ClassReptilia/O_Squamata/InfraSnakes/ FColubridae/tentacled_snake.htm