out heast ▁Asia ▁to ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁south ▁through ▁the ▁Indones ian / Mal ays ian ▁island ▁group ▁to ▁Tim or , ▁east ▁through ▁New ▁Guinea ▁to ▁the ▁northern ▁coast ▁of ▁Australia ▁to ▁M uss au ▁Island , ▁the ▁B ism ar ck ▁Arch ip el ago ▁and ▁Gu adal can al ▁Island ▁in ▁the ▁Sol omon ▁Islands . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁explo itation ▁These ▁animals ▁are ▁rapidly ▁becoming ▁rare ▁as ▁their ▁h ides ▁are ▁used ▁for ▁hand b ags ▁and ▁le ather ▁( st ri pped ▁of ▁scales , ▁of ▁course ). ▁ ▁N umer ous ▁attempts ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁by ▁both ▁zo os ▁and ▁private ▁re pt ile ▁collect ors ▁to ▁keep ▁them , ▁but ▁in ▁all ▁cases , ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁feed ▁and ▁pr one ▁to ▁skin ▁in fe ctions . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁syn onym s ▁for ▁the ▁family ▁Ac ro ch ord idae ▁including : ▁Ac ro ch ord ina ▁Bon ap arte , ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁Ac ro ch ord idae ▁Bon ap arte , ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁Ac ro chor ni ens ▁A . M . C . ▁Dum ér il , ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁Ac ro ch ord idae ▁Jan , ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁Ac ro ch ord inae ▁Bou len ger , ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁Ac ro ch ordo idae ▁Mc D ow ell , ▁ 1 9 7 5 ,