Ota's wolf snake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lycodon bibonius
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Lycodon
Species:	L. bibonius
Binomial name
Lycodon bibonius Ota & Ross, 1994
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

Lycodon bibonius, also known as Ota's wolf snake, is a type of snake found only on two islands in the Philippines. These islands are Camiguin Norte and Babuyan Claro. It belongs to a large family of snakes called colubrids.

Why is it called Ota's Wolf Snake?

The scientific name "bibonius" comes from a Latin word meaning "to drink." The scientists who first described this snake, Hidetoshi Ota and Charles Ross, chose this name. They did it to honor their friend and colleague, R. I. Crombie. He often shared his knowledge and friendship with them, sometimes while they were sharing drinks.

What Does Ota's Wolf Snake Look Like?

The head of Ota's wolf snake is easy to tell apart from its neck. It is also a bit flat. Its snout sticks out a little past its lower jaw. The snake's body is round, but it is slightly flat on its belly.

The snake has a large, triangle-shaped scale on its nose called a rostral scale. You can clearly see this scale from above. The body of the snake is dark brown. It has lighter stripes that go across its back and tail.

These stripes are thinner than the dark spaces between them. They are thinnest along the snake's spine. As they go down the sides of the snake, the stripes get wider. One snake that was studied measured about 37.1 centimeters (about 14.6 inches) from its snout to its vent (the opening at the end of its body). Its tail was about 14 centimeters (about 5.5 inches) long. This means its total length was about 51.1 centimeters (about 20.1 inches).

Ota's wolf snake is special because its upper pre-ocular scale (a scale in front of its eye) is bigger than its lower one. Also, it has between 16 and 21 lighter bands across its back and tail. These features help scientists tell it apart from other Lycodon species.

Reproduction

Ota's wolf snake reproduces by laying eggs. This means it is an oviparous species.

Where Does Ota's Wolf Snake Fit in the Snake Family?

Lycodon bibonius is part of the Lycodon group of snakes. These snakes are often called wolf snakes. The Lycodon group belongs to the snake family Colubridae. This is the largest family of snakes in the world. You can find members of this family on every continent except Antarctica.

Where Does Ota's Wolf Snake Live and What Does It Eat?

During the day, you can find Ota's wolf snakes on the leaves of palm trees. They like to rest in the leaf axils, which are the parts where the leaf meets the stem. At night, they move to tree trunks.

These snakes have been seen in both forests and farm areas. They are known to eat skinks, which are a type of lizard.

Where Can You Find Ota's Wolf Snake?

For a long time, scientists only knew that Lycodon bibonius lived on the volcanic island of Camiguin Norte. This island is part of the Babuyan island group in the Philippines.

Then, in 2006, it was also seen on Babuyan Claro. This island is in the same group. The area where these snakes live is quite small, less than 300 square kilometers (about 116 square miles).

How Is Ota's Wolf Snake Being Protected?

Even though Ota's wolf snake lives in a small area, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers it a species of "least concern." This decision was made after a survey in 2007.

The island of Babuyan is part of a proposed protected area. Both Babuyan and Camiguin islands have very few people living on them. This means there is less human disturbance. The snake is common within its small home range, and its population seems to be stable. However, losing forest habitats could be a threat to the snake on Camiguin island.