Snakeskin
1.
Karung snakeskin is from
Acrochordus javanicus. This snake is known as the Java file, or elephant trunk snake and inhabits shallow tropical freshwater lagoons and streams in SE Asia. It is non-venomous and eats fish and eels. An adult Java file can reach 7-8 feet in length. It has really loose skin and a flattened tail for swimming. Pretty!
Elaphe is harvested from either the
Elaphe radiata,
Elaphe carinata or
Elaphe taeniura. All three are non-venomous, land dwelling constrictors. Will eat just about anything.
The
Elaphe radiata is found in Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia/Singapore, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as southern Australia. It is known as the radiated ratsnake or the copperhead ratsnake and can grow 5-6 feet long.
The
Elaphe carinata lives mainly in N. Vietnam, China, and Taiwan. Known as the King ratsnake for it habit of eating other snakes. A large snake that can grow 6-7 feet in length. Found in open forests, bamboo thickets, as well as near houses, both day and night. These also have some sort of stink gland and smell really bad.
There is another ratsnake used in bags, the
Elaphe taeniura. According to some Chinese agricultural data I found, this is the third most used snake in Elaphe leather trade. This snake is known as the "Beauty snake" or the "Striped tail ratsnake." It occurs mainly in China, and lives, hunts as other ratsnakes do.
Tiger snake is another skin used, but less frequently. It is a highly venomous snake, with an unerring strike, is found in southern areas of Australia and is responsible for ½ of the snake bite deaths in that country. They are called tiger snakes because of their tiger-like stripes or banding and grow to 4-5 feet long. Tiger snakes are territorial and are found in swampy rural and suburban settings. Of the tiger snakes used for leather, is the eastern, or
Notechis scutatus. Don't piss it off, lol!
Burmese python, once very commonly seen, is declining in use. It is becoming hunted in too great a quantity and is getting scarce. The burmese python is
Python molurus bivittatus. Native to rain forest areas of SE Asia, it is one of the largest snakes in the world, with the record so far being 27 feet long. It is found as often in the trees as in water. It is an excellent swimmer and nocturnal. A powerful constrictor, these snakes can grow 7 feet in one year and see humans as a food source. Luckily, they are docile in temperament. A breeding population is becoming established in S. Florida due to escape or release of pet pythons. Watch where you swim because you cannot escape!
Another type of Python is the
African Rock Python, or
Python sabae. This is one of the largest growing snakes in the world, reaching 20+ feet in length. Pythons are non-venomous, they are constrictors. This species is found in Africa, pretty much everywhere south of the Sahara desert. Unlike the Burmese Python, the African Rock Python is very aggressive and known for a nasty disposition. This large and lethal predator has also established a population in Florida as a result of abandoned pets and abandoned smuggled animals. It is a beauty: