Cape wolf snake
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
The Cape wolf snake (Lycophidion capense) is a species of oviparous,[1][2] nonvenomous snake which occurs over a wide area of Southern, Central, and East Africa.[1][3] Though docile and harmless, it may be confused with the very venomous stiletto snake.[4]
Subspecies
The species contains three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, L. c. capense:[1]
- Lycophidion capense capense (A. Smith, 1831)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Lycophidion capense jacksoni (Boulenger, 1893)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Lycophidion capense loveridgei Laurent, 1968Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Lycophidion.
Description
Adults regularly reach 40 cm in length,[4] but some grow to 64 cm. It has a flattened, tapering head and marbled eye. The brown or black lateral and dorsal scales are tipped white,[5] while the ventral scales are all-white. Long recurved fangs are present on the upper as well as lower jaws,[4] for which they are named.
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Diet and behaviour
They are widely distributed but prefer damp locations,[4] with lowland forest and fynbos being preferred habitats. They feed mostly on geckos and skinks which they bite and kill by constriction.[2] They are believed to reach an age of 15 to 20 years.[5]
References
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- ↑ a b c Lycophidion capense at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 March 2021.
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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Further reading
- Boulenger GA. 1893. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Lycophidium capense, pp. 339–340; Lycophidium jacksoni, new species, p. 340 + Plate XXI, figure 3).
- Branch, Bill. 2004. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. Template:ISBN. (Lycophidion capense, p. 76 + Plate 36).
- Smith A. 1831. "Contributions to the Natural History of South Africa, &c". South African Quarterly Journal 1 (5): 9-24. (Lycodon capensis, new species, p. 18). (in Latin and English).