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Cape wolf snake

provided by wikipedia EN

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]

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.

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

  1. ^ a b c d e Lycophidion capense at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ "Lycophidion capense (Smith, 1831)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "This is a Wolf... snake". Facebook. Bionerds.co.za. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Lycophidion capense (Common wolf snake, Cape wolf snake)". biodiversity explorer. iziko museums. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
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Cape wolf snake: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

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

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
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wikipedia EN