- Where to see one
- 5 U.S. zoos in our directory hold tentacled snake, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the tentacled snake
The tentacled snake is a small, rear-fanged aquatic snake from Southeast Asia, averaging 50 to 90 cm long, and the only snake with two tentacles on its snout. The tentacles have a mechanosensory function. It spends its whole life in murky, slow or still water in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, including lakes, rice paddies and streams, and eats only fish. To hunt, it anchors its tail and holds an upside-down J shape, then strikes when a fish comes within range. It is not considered dangerous to humans, and the young are born live underwater.
Tentacled Snake facts
- It can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes without surfacing.
- It tricks fish into a reflexive escape turn in the wrong direction, then grabs them.
- It keeps its rigid J-shaped posture even when picked up by a person.
- It retracts its eyes when it begins to strike.
Where to see tentacled snake in the U.S.
5 zoos across 4 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 5 zoos holding tentacled snake by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Kansas· 1
New York· 1
Oklahoma· 1
Virginia· 2
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
