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1. SNAKE ANIMALS
Presented by
Binayak Jenamani
MSc Semester II
Roll no-17 Zoo 02
PG DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY
UTKAL UNIVERSITY

2. Contents
1. Introduction
2. List of snake animals
3. Biology of snake animals
4. Economic importance
5. Conclusion
6. References.

3. Table 01 List of snake animals
SERIAL
NUMBER
COMMON
NAME
LATIN NAME CONSERVATION
STATUS
1 Snake mackerel Gemphylus serpens LC
2 Snake catfish Clarias theodorae LC
3 Snake pipefish Entelurus aequoreus LC
4
Snake fish Erpetoichthys
calabaricus
NT
5
Victoria snake catfish Clariallabe petricola DD
6 Snakehead fish Channa striata LC
7
Tiger snake eel Myrichthys maculosus LC
8 King snake eel Ophichthus rex NA
9
Galapagos snake eel Qoiassiremus evionthas VU
10
Roti island snake necked
turtle
Chelodina maccordi CR

4. Snake pipefish
Fig. 03 Snake pipefish.

5. Distribution
Snake pipefish is native to the northeastern Atlantic ocean.

6. Biology of snake pipefish
1. Pipefishes look like straight-bodied seahorse with tiny mouth.
The name is derived from peculiar form of its snout and snake-
like long thin body and tail.
2. Adult inhabits inshore water among algae.
3. The species feeds on small crustaceans and fish fries.
4. Females grow to a length of 60cm while males grow to a length
of 40cm. The males have brood pouch under the trunk.

7. 5. These are ovoviviparous. The females have more than 1000
ovarian eggs during their breeding period.
6. The males show parental care and carry the eggs in a brood pouch
which is found under the tail.
7. This species is the center of attraction of public aquarium.

8. Snake Mackerel
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order- Perciformes
Family- Gempylus
Species- serpens

9. Fig.01 Snake Mackerel.

10. Distribution
Snake mackerel is found worldwide in the tropical and
subtropical seas.

11. Biology of snake mackerel
1. Snake mackerel is an elongated, laterally compressed marine
fish, having long pointed head and lack scales.
2. The mouth is large with the lower jaw protruding beyond the
upper. Both jaws are densely packed with teeth. The first few
teeth in the upper jaw are enlarged into fangs.
3. Snake mackerel is an oceanic, epipelagic and mesopelagic
species visible up to a depth of 950 m.
4. Adult snake mackerel remains at the bottom during daytime
but comes to surface at night to feed while larvae and
juveniles remain at the surface during day and move
to bottom at night.

12. 5. Life cycle is simple and fast. Females are oviparous producing
3,00,000 to 10,00,000 eggs. Males reach maturity at a length of
43 cm and females reach maturity at 50 cm.
6. This species has minor commercial use in fisheries and it is used
as bait occasionally.

13. Snake Catfish
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Siluriformes
Family-Clariidae
Genus-Clarias
Species-theodorae
Fig. 02 Snake catfish.

14. Distribution
Clarias theodorae has a very broad distribution in the southern
half of Africa from the Congo to South Africa.

15. Biology of snake catfish
1. These are demersal fish with rectangular head in dorsal outline,
rounded snout and dorsally located eye.
2. The species is omnivorous. It feeds on insects (such as
Coleoptera, ants, chironomid larvae) and occasionally on small
fishes and plant seeds.
3. The species inhabits in vegetated area in shallow and swampy
places around the freshwater body.

16. Snake fish
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Polypteriformes
Family-polypteridae
Genus-Erpetoichthys
Species-calabaricus
Fig. 04 Snake fish.

17. Distribution
Snake fish is native to West and Central Africa.

18. Biology of snake fish
1. The snake fish has an eel like elongated body without any trace of
ventral fin and attains a maximum length of 37cm.
2. The snake fish possesses a pair of lungs in addition to gills which
allows it to survive in very oxygen poor water.
3. The snake fish inhabits in slow-moving or standing brackish or
freshwater or in warm water at temperature of 220 C– 280 C.

19. 4. The snakefish is nocturnal and feeds on annelids, worms,
crustaceans and insects.
5. Life cycle is simple. Female repeatedly deposits small batches
of eggs between anal fin of male where these are fertilized.
6. Male snakefish then scatters the eggs among aquatic
vegetation where they stick to plants and substrate.
7. Larvae hatch rapidly (after 70 hours), but remain attached
to vegetation. They become independent and start to feed
after ~22days when the eggs yolk sac has been consumed.

20. Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Siluriformes
Family-Claridae
Genus-Clariallabe
Species-petricola
Fig. 05 Victoria Snake catfish.

21. Distribution
This species is found in Africa ,i.e., Lake Victoria and
Victoria Nile near Owen fall dam.

22. Biology of Victoria Snake catfish
1. These are demersal freshwater catfishes which inhabit near
stones in river beds or wave washed shores.
2. This species particularly prefers rocky or stony substrates,
where they hide among the rocks.
3. This species feeds predominantly on insect larvae, copepods
and plants.
4. They grow up to a length of 84 mm.

23. Snakehead fish
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Perciformes
Family-Channidae
Genus-Channa
Species-striata
Fig.06 Snakehead fish.

24. Distribution
This species is recorded from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thiland and
southern China.

25. Biology of snakehead fish
1. This species is an elongated predatory fish which is distinguished
by their long dorsal fins, large mouth, shiny teeth and snake like
head.
2. They breathe air which allow them to migrate shorter distances
over land ,i.e., up to 400m by wriggling with their body and fins.
3. This species inhabits freshwater bodies, ponds, streams. Generally
it prefers stagnant muddy water.

26. 4. Snakehead fish consumes plankton, aquatic plants and
molluscs when small. In adult stage they mostly feed on
other dishes or on frogs. In rare cases small mammals
such as rats.
5. This species breeds in rainy season. Each females can
release up to 15,000 eggs at once. Snakehead can mate
five times a year. This means in just 2 years a single female
can release up to 150,000 eggs.

27. Tiger snake eel
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Anguilliformes
Family-Ophichthidae
Genus-Myrichthys
Species-maculosus
Fig.07 Tiger snake eel.

28. Distribution
This species is distributed in the eastern Pacific from Magdalena
Bay, Baja, California and the Gulf of California to southern Peru
including the Galapagos, Cocos and Malpelo island.

29. Biology of Tiger snake eel
1. Tiger snake eels are burrowing eels. They are named for
their physical appearance. They have long, cylindrical
snake like body with sported appearance like tiger.
2. They inhabit a wide range of habitat from coastal
shallows and even rivers to a depth of above 800m. Most
species are bottom dwellers.
3. They feed on crustaceans and small fishes.
4. This species grows up to a length of 1m.

30. 5. This species can be seen at times in daylight searching
for prey under rocks and in crevices over rocky bottom
or buried completely in the sand when inactive.

31. King snake eel
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Anguilliformes
Family-Ophicthidae
Genus-Ophichthus
Species-rex
Fig.08 king snake eel.

32. Distribution
This species is distributed in the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida
middle Grounds north along the Gulf coast down to northwestern
Yucatan, Mexico.

33. Biology of king snake eel
1. King snake eel is the heaviest among all eel. They are named
for their physical appearance and body weight.
2. The maximum size is 211cm. It may reach up to 3.35m
and body weight is about 23.6kg.
3. This species feeds on fish.
4. They inhabit marine offshore water from 15-365m depth.

34. Galapagos snake eel
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Actinopterygii
Order-Anguilliformes
Family-Ophicthidae
Genus-Qiassiremus
Species-evionthas
Fig.09 Galapagos snake eel.

35. Distribution
It is restricted to Galapagos and Cocos Island.

36. Biology of Galapagos snake eel
1. Body is stout with compressed tail. They have overhanging conical
snout with pointed teeth arranged in a single row on jaws. Dorsal
fin and pectoral fin is very thin.
2. Body is white in colour with numerous black spots at regular
intervals.
3. This species grows up to a length of 71cm.
4. They inhabit areas bearing a mixture of boulder, grave and sand.

37. Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Reptilia
Order-Testudines
Family-Chelidae
Genus-Chelodina
Species-maccordi
Fig.10 Snake-necked turtle.

38. Distribution
This species is restricted to Roti island of Indonesia.

39. Biology of Snake-necked Turtle
1. Adult turtle has 18-24cm long pale grey brown carapace and the
plastron is pale buff white.
2. Snake necked turtle inhabits in swamps, rice terraces and small
lakes.
3. Breeding period is 3 times in a year. Females give 8-14 eggs in a
single breeding period.
4. This species feeds on fishes and crustaceans.

40. Eastern Snake-necked Turtle
Kingdom-Animali
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Reptilia
Order-Chelonia
Family-Chelidae
Genus-Chelodina
Species-longicollis
Fig.11 Eastern Snake-necked turtle.

41. Distribution
This species is restricted to Southeastern Australia.

42. Biology of Eastern snake-necked turtle
1. The neck is long and narrow. It is also called as side-necked
turtle as it bends it's head sideways into it's shell rather than
pulling it directly back.
2. This turtle has broad, flat black coloured carapace. The
plastron is also very broad and is creamy white to yellow in
colour.
3. This turtle is carnivorous and feeds on insects, worms,
small fishes, crustaceans and molluscs.
4. Snake-necked turtles are semi-aquatic. Although they
prefer the slow moving waters of swamps or wet land and
also streams and rivers.

43. 5. The average life span of this turtle ranges from 31-37 years.
Females are larger than males. Females lay 2-10 eggs in the
banks of her aquatic habitat.
6. After 3-5 months the hatchlings break out of their shells.
7. Predators of snake-necked turtle include red foxes, water rat,
Goannas, Australian ravens and white breasted sea eagles.

44. Economic importance
1. Snake headfish and snake catfish provides a number of
ecological, commercial and nutritional values.
2. Snake pipefishes are used for commercial purposes in
aquarium.
3. Snake mackerel is used as bait in fisheries.

45. THANK YOU