Lycodon alcalai
| Lycodon alcalai | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subphylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | L. alcalai
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lycodon alcalai (Ota & Ross, 1994)
| |
Lycodon alcalai, also known as Alcala’s wolf snake, is a species of colubrid[1] snake found on the islands of Batan and Sabtang in the Philippines.[2]
Etymology
The species name alcalai was chosen to honor the naturalist A.C. Alcala, who made significant contributions to herpetology in the Philippines.[3]
Description
Lycodon alcalai has a body that is rounded on the back and flattened on the belly. Its head is distinct from its neck, with a snout that extends further than its lower jaw. Its pupils are vertical ellipses. The rostral scale is large and triangular, and extends backwards for some distance. The back of the snake and the top of the head are dark brown in color, while the belly and bottom of the head are white or light cream yellow. A holotype for the species had a snout-to-vent length of 56 centimetres and a tail that was 22.7 centimetres long, giving a total length of 78.7 centimetres.[3]
Reproduction
Lycodon alcalai is oviparous, or egg-laying.[1]
Phylogeny
Lycodon alcalai is a member of the genus Lycodon, a genus of snakes commonly known as wolf snakes.[4] The genus belongs to the snake family Colubridae, the largest snake family, with member species being found on every continent except Antarctica.[5]
Distribution
Lycodon alcalai is endemic to the Philippine islands of Batan and Sabtang. Recent records of the snake exist from Calayan island as well, and the species may also be found on other small islands in the region. The species prefers lowland habitats, not being found more than 320 meters above sea level.[2]
Conservation
The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers Lycodon alcalai to be a species of least concern, based on a survey in 2007.[2]
References
- ^ a b Hallerman, Jakob; Uetz, Peter. "Lycodon alcalai". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ a b c "Lycodon alcalai". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(tm). IUCN. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ a b Ota, Hidetoshi; Ross, Charles A. (1 February 2004). "Four New Species of Lycodon (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Northern Philippines". Copiea. 1994 (1).
- ^ "Wolf snake". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ Bauer, Aaron M. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 188–195. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
External links
- Lycodon alcalai at the Reptile Database
.jpg?lang=en){kind=small} | This colubrid snake article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |