The elephant trunk snake possesses a wide and flat head, and its nostrils are situated on the top of the snout.

Females are bigger than males, and the maximum total length (including tail) of an individual is 2.4 m (94 in).

[1] The elephant trunk snake is found in South-East Asia west of the Wallace Line:[1] southern Thailand, the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo (Kalimantan, Sarawak), a number of Indonesian islands (Java, Sumatra, and (possibly) Bali);[1][5] possibly also in Cambodia[6] and Vietnam,[5][6] although the last is discredited by the IUCN.

[1] The elephant trunk snake has a coastal living habitat like rivers, estuaries and lagoons.

Its loose, baggy skin and its sharp scales find their utility by limiting any risk of escape of the prey, in particular fishes which have bodies covered with a viscous, protective mucus.