Wildlifeof India
Indian Wolf Snake
Colubrid Snakes
Photo: (c) Eliane Küpfer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA (May be cropped or resized)
Lycodon aulicus
Basic stats
Diet
Lizards and frogs
Range
South Asia and South-east Asia; throughout India
Clutch size
5–7 eggs
Size
Total length about 71cm in one description
The Indian wolf snake, or common wolf snake, is a non-venomous snake native to South Asia and South-east Asia, common in India. The colouring varies. Early naturalists suggested its resemblance to the venomous common krait is a case of mimicry, but the presence of a loreal shield can be used to tell it apart from kraits. The snout is broad, much flattened and spatulate, with a swollen upper lip, and the scales are smooth in seventeen rows (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is nocturnal and inactive in the day and feeds on lizards and frogs. It breeds before the monsoons and lays five to seven eggs, which hatch in September or October; hatchlings are 14–19 cm long. The Reptile Database lists it throughout India, from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to Himachal Pradesh and the north-east.
Quick answers
- What does the Indian Wolf Snake eat?
- Lizards and frogs
- Where is the Indian Wolf Snake found?
- South Asia and South-east Asia; throughout India
- How many eggs does the Indian Wolf Snake lay?
- 5–7 eggs
- How big is the Indian Wolf Snake?
- Total length about 71cm in one description