Lycodon aulicus, Common Wolf Snake
Lycodon
Genus Lycodon is the widespread taxa of snakes,
ranging from the Caspian Sea to Indonesia and Philippines. Nearly about 25
species under genius Lycodon have been described till date Out of them
11 occurs within Indian subcontinent. Species under this genus are commonly as
wolf snakes.
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| Image source (reptile-database.reptarium.cz) |
Common Wolf
Snake │ Lycodon aulicus, Linnaeus, 1758
Lycodon aulicus, commonly known Indian wolf snake belongs to the family
colubridae. It is a non-venomous species of snake distributed throughout South
and Southeast Asia. Matches closely to the venomous species of snake common
Krait that’s why this snake is frequently confused with the Common Krait. The
presence of a Loreal shield and mid body scale can be used to differentiate it
from common Krait (Midbody scale is hexagonal). The species also looks like
some other species of Lycodon such as Travancore
Wolf Snake; Common Bridal
Snake; Scarce Bridal
Snake & Yellow
Collared Wolf Snake. The average length of this species is recorded
nearly about 1-2 feet’s & new borns were about 5-6 inches. The maximum length
of the species was documented is 3 feet.
The bodies of these
snakes are slender having shiny smooth scales of brown greyish or of reddish
color. There is white to yellowish white bands found on the dorsal side of body
running just behind the head which faint towards the tail region. Youngsters bears
prominent collar over the neck which gets constricted in adults. Over the
ventral side the scale are whitish without having any pattern, sub-caudal
scales are paired and are arranged in zigzag manner in the snakes of this
species. Tail is of normal length (4.5 inches) having pointed tip and with or
without any bands.
Scientific
classification
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Kingdom:
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Animalia
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Phylum:
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Chordata
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Class:
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Reptilia
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Order:
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Squamata
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Suborder:
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Serpentes
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Family:
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Colubridae
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Genus:
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Lycodon
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Species:
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aulicus
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Binomial name
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Lycodon aulicus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
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Head
in this species is flat & broader than neck. A yellow- whitish collar may exist
in these snakes in its range. Eyes are entirely black having elliptical pupil.
There are 9/9 supra-labial scales pout of which 3rd to 5th are in contact of
eyes; 9/9 infra labials; 1 preocular; 2 postocular; 1 loreal & temporal (2+2
/ 2+3). Dorsal scales are 17: 17: 15 in rows having a single apical pit on each
scale. On the ventral asides the scales range from 172-214 which angulate
laterally; anal scale is divided; 57-80 sub caudal scales.
Stay
hidden in cracks or under hefty objects during the day, most of the activity of
this species is observe nocturnal. The snake species can be found in variety of
habitat viz., dry and mixed deciduous forests, scrub lands & rainforests. Found
mostly in rocky terrain, land cracks and near human inhabitance. The snakes of
this species prefers to stay in statures, dry surrounding for hiding and foraging,
as its diet mainly includes geckos rodents and skinks.
This
species of Lycodon is quite aggressive
than their other counterparts under this genus. When encountered primarily try
to escape at first but later it makes coil wrapping its whole body and hide its
head under it. In aggressiveness it tries to bite. Mating in this species is
observed on starting of summer which can extends upto monsoon. Whereas it is believed that this species is
capable of mating throughout the year in its geographical range. Female of the
species lay near about 5- 10 eggs in land or rock crevices, small mounds, under
the rocks or in somewhere dark places at some heights.
Juveniles of the species can be seen mostly during monsoon to winters.
Reproduction is oviparous.
The species is found in Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan,
Nepal, SriLanka, India, Seychelles, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, Mascarenes, Mauritius,
South China & few of the islands of Philippines.
Image source (reptile-database.reptarium.cz)
The
main threat of these snakes is it’s killing because of the misperception & misidentification.
Another threat that takes the life of this beautiful creature is by way of vehicular
movement via roads along the forest trail, that too, mostly during the monsoon months
when they were in search of their mate.
Image source (Manhas et al., 2018)
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