''Lycophidion'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of nonvenomous lamprophiid

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

s commonly referred to as the wolf snakes. Lycophidion capense1

there are 23 recognized

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in the genus.

Description and behavior

Wolf snakes are small snakes which forage at night for sleeping lizards. They have flat heads and large recurved teeth that are assumed to aid them in their extraction of lizards from their lairs.

Reproduction

All species in the genus ''Lycophidion'' are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...

and lay between 3 and 10 eggs.

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid. *'' Lycophidion acutirostre'' *'' Lycophidion albomaculatum'' *'' Lycophidion capense'' *'' Lycophidion chirioi'' *'' Lycophidion depressirostre'' *'' Lycophidion hellmichi'' *'' Lycophidion irroratum'' *'' Lycophidion jacksoni'' – western Jackson's wolf snake *'' Lycophidion laterale'' *'' Lycophidion meleagre'' *'' Lycophidion multimaculatum'' *'' Lycophidion namibianum'' *'' Lycophidion nanum'' *'' Lycophidion nigromaculatum'' *'' Lycophidion ornatum'' *'' Lycophidion pembanum'' *'' Lycophidion pygmaeum'' *'' Lycophidion semiannule'' *'' Lycophidion semicinctum'' *''

Lycophidion taylori ''Lycophidion'' is a genus of nonvenomous Lamprophiidae, lamprophiid snakes commonly referred to as the wolf snakes. there are 23 recognized species in the genus. Description and behavior Wolf snakes are small snakes which forage at night for s ...

'' *'' Lycophidion tchadensis'' – Chad wolf snake *'' Lycophidion uzungwense'' *''

Lycophidion variegatum ''Lycophidion variegatum'', also known as the variegated wolf snake, is a species of small Nocturnality, nocturnal snake in the Family (biology), family Lamprophiidae. The species actively hunts lizards in small crevices, and is Endemism, endemi ...

'' ''

Nota bene ( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''. In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Lycophidion''.

Description and behavior

Reproduction

Species

References

Further reading