Cape wolf snake
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
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| Cape wolf snake | |
|---|---|
| |
| At Lower Sabie, southern Kruger National Park | |
 | |
| Ventral aspect on an individual from Pretoria, Gauteng | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Lamprophiidae |
| Genus: | Lycophidion |
| Species: | L. capense |
| Binomial name | |
| Lycophidion capense | |
 | |
| IUCN range
Extant (resident) | |
| Synonyms | |
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.
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