Lycodon zawi

Lycodon zawi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Lycodon
Species:	L. zawi
Binomial name
Lycodon zawi Slowinski et al., 2001

Lycodon zawi, commonly known as Zaw's wolf snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia

Etymology

The specific name, zawi, is in honor of U Khin Maung Zaw, Director of the Myanmar Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division.^[2][3]

Geographic range

L. zawi is found in Bangladesh, northeastern India (Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura), and Myanmar (formerly called Burma).^[4]

Description

Dorsally, L. zawi is brownish black with white crossbands. Ventrally, it is cream-colored. It can grow to 48 cm (19 inches) in total length (including tail).^[5]

Habitat

Zaw's wolf snake was discovered dwelling in forests and near streams at elevations of less than 500 m (1,600 ft)^[1] in Assam, India, including Garbhange Reserve Forest, and in northern Myanmar.

Diet

L. zawi feeds mainly on small lizards such as skinks and geckos.^[6]

Reproduction

L. zawi is oviparous.^[4]

References

1. Wogan, G.; Vogel, G. (2012). "Lycodon zawi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T176846A1449629. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T176846A1449629.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. Slowinski et al., 2001, p. 402.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Lycodon zawi, p. 293).
4. Species Lycodon zawi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
5. Slowinski et al., 2001, p. 398.
6. Slowinski et al., 2001, p. 403.

Further reading

• Das I (2012). A Naturalist's Guide to the Snakes of South-East Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali. Oxford, England: John Beaufoy Publishing. 176 pp. ISBN 978-1906780708.
• Majumder, Joydeb (2018). "Record of Lycodon zawi (Squamata: Colubridae) in Tripura and its range extension in northeast India: an Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots [sic] of the world". Biodiversity International Journal 2 (3): 303–304.
• Slowinski JB, Pawar SS, Win H, Thin T, Gyi SW, Oo SL, Tun H (2001). "A New Lycodon (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Northeast India and Myanmar (Burma)". Proceedings of the California Acadademy of Sciences 52: 397–405. (Lycodon zawi, new species).
• Whitaker R, Captain A (2008). Snakes of India: The Field Guide. Chennai: Draco Books. 495 pp. ISBN 978-8190187305.