Cape wolf snake

Cape wolf snake
At Lower Sabie, southern Kruger National Park
Ventral aspect on an individual from Pretoria, Gauteng
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Lamprophiidae
Genus:	Lycophidion
Species:	L. capense
Binomial name
Lycophidion capense (A. Smith, 1831)[2]
IUCN range   Extant (resident)
Synonyms
Lycodon capensis A. Smith, 1831 Lycophidium capense — Boulenger, 1893 Lycophidion capense — Laurent, 1968[2]

The Cape wolf snake (Lycophidion capense) is a species of oviparous,^[2][3] nonvenomous snake which occurs over a wide area of Southern, Central, and East Africa.^[2][4] Though docile and harmless, it may be confused with the very venomous stiletto snake.^[5]

Subspecies

The species contains three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, L. c. capense:^[2]

• Lycophidion capense capense (A. Smith, 1831)
• Lycophidion capense jacksoni (Boulenger, 1893)
• Lycophidion capense loveridgei Laurent, 1968

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,^[5] 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,^[6] while the ventral scales are all-white. Long recurved fangs are present on the upper as well as lower jaws,^[5] for which they are named.

Found dead, with a Sundevall's writhing skink in its stomach.

Diet and behaviour

They are widely distributed but prefer damp locations,^[5] with lowland forest and fynbos being preferred habitats. They feed mostly on geckos and skinks which they bite and kill by constriction.^[3] They are believed to reach an age of 15 to 20 years.^[6]

References

1. Howell, K.; Msuya, C.A.; Ngalason, W.; Baha El Din, S. (2021). "Lycophidion capense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T183201A1733864. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T183201A1733864.en. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
2. Lycophidion capense at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 March 2021.
3. Carruthers, Vincent (2005). The Wildlife of Southern Africa: A Field Guide to the Animal and Plants of the Region. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. p. 92. ISBN 1-86872-451-4.
4. "Lycophidion capense (Smith, 1831)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
5. "This is a Wolf... snake". Facebook. Bionerds.co.za. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
6. "Lycophidion capense (Common wolf snake, Cape wolf snake)". biodiversity explorer. iziko museums. Retrieved 15 May 2018.

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. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (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).