''Lycodon alcalai'', also known commonly as Alcala's wolf snake, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ev ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Etymology

The specific name ''alcalai'' was chosen to honor the Philippine naturalist Angel Chua Alcala, who made significant contributions to

herpetology Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning " reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and r ...

in the Philippines. (''Lycodon alcalai'', new species, p. 159 + Figures 2–3).

Taxonomy

''L. alcalai'' is a member of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

Lycodon ''Lycodon'' is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as wolf snakes. The New Latin name ''Lycodon'' is derived from the Greek words λύκος (''lykos'') meaning wolf and οδόν (''odon'') meaning tooth, and refers to the fang-like ant ...

'', a genus of snakes commonly known as wolf snakes. The genus belongs to the snake family Colubridae, the largest snake family, with member species being found on every continent except Antarctica.

Description

''L. 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. The pupil of its eye is a vertical ellipse. The

rostral scale The rostral scale, or rostral, in snakes and other scaled reptiles is the median plate on the tip of the snout that borders the mouth opening. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: ...

is large and triangular, and extends backwards for some distance. The dorsum 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. The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of seve ...

for the species has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of , a tail that is , and a total length of . ''L. alcalai'' is distinguished from other species in its genus by the lack of a keel or ridge on the scales on its back, as well as the absence of transverse light bands along the body and tail. It most closely resembles the related species ''L. chrysoprateros''.

Habitat and ecology

''L. alcalai'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), a ...

, or egg-laying. The species prefers lowland habitats, not being found more than 320 meters above sea level. It is frequently found in shrubs or on the forest floor, as well as at the edge of the forest, and occasionally in adjacent agricultural fields. It is thought to feed on the eggs of other reptiles, by slitting them open with its blade-like teeth.

Geographic range and conservation

''L. alcalai'' is native 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.

Conservation status

The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natur ...

(IUCN) considers ''L. alcalai'' to be a species of "Least Concern", based on a survey in 2009. The islands that it inhabits are well protected, have very few inhabitants, and do not experience anthropogenic environmental disturbances such as

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/ tusks, horn/ a ...

or logging.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3268419 alcalai Reptiles described in 1994 Reptiles of the Philippines Endemic fauna of the Philippines Fauna of Batanes Fauna of the Babuyan Islands