Common wolf snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common wolf snake |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Lycodon
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| Species: |
capucinus
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The Lycodon capucinus, also known as the common wolf snake, is a type of snake found in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. It gets its name from its front teeth, which are larger than other snakes' teeth. These teeth make its snout look a bit like a dog's snout.
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What Does It Look Like?
The common wolf snake is a small, slender snake. It usually grows to be less than one meter (about three feet) long. Most snakes caught in the wild are even shorter than this.
Their colors help them blend in with the ground and forest floor. They can be black, reddish-brown, or dark gray. They often have small white or pale yellow spots and blotches all over their body. You might also see a clear white band around their neck. The exact colors can change depending on where the snake lives. Very rarely, you might even find an albino common wolf snake, which is a snake with no color.
This snake has a snout shaped a bit like a duck's bill. This helps it dig in soft or sandy ground. Even though it has large front teeth, this snake is generally not harmful to humans.
Where Does It Live?
The common wolf snake lives in many parts of Southeast Asia and beyond. You can find it in countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Laos. It also lives in parts of SE China and Hong Kong.
Further south, it is found across Indonesia, including islands like Sumatra, Java, and Bali. It also lives in West Malaysia, Borneo, and the Philippines. You can even find it in the Maldives and on some Mascarenes islands like Mauritius.
How Does It Behave?
The common wolf snake is not venomous. If it bites a human, it usually only causes some pain and swelling. It does not cause serious harm.
This snake can be quite nervous if you pick it up. It might try to bite if it feels threatened. When scared, it might also move its tail back and forth, a bit like a rattlesnake.
It is an animal that loves to burrow, meaning it digs into the earth. However, you can often find it on open ground, on rocks, or in low plants. Sometimes, it even climbs trees or walls. This snake is mostly active at night, but you might see it around sunrise too. Snakes kept as pets often become calm over time with gentle handling.
What Does It Eat?
In the wild, the common wolf snake mainly eats small lizards. It especially likes geckos and skinks. Since these lizards often live near homes, the common wolf snake is sometimes seen by people. If available, they might also eat small frogs.
When kept as pets, they can sometimes learn to eat slender fish like gobies. They might also eat pinkie mice (baby mice) that smell like lizards, but this is harder to teach them.
Is It Endangered?
The IUCN has listed the common wolf snake as a species of 'Least Concern'. This means it is not currently at high risk of disappearing. Even though it is common, it is not seen very often.
However, its survival could be threatened by people destroying forests. When forests are cut down for farms or homes, the snake loses its habitat. Also, some people kill snakes without knowing they are harmless. This snake is considered endangered in some parts of mainland Asia and Southeast Asia.
Images for kids
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A common wolf snake.
