''Lycophidion variegatum'', also known as the variegated wolf snake, is a

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), ...

of small

nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...

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 ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Lamprophiidae The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022. Biology Lamprophiids are a diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. '' Ambly ...

. The species actively hunts

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s in small crevices, and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to southern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

.Marais, Johan. 2004. ''A Complete Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa''. Cape Town: Struik.

References

* Branch, Bill. 2004. ''A Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised Edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (''Lycophidion variegatum'', p. 76 + Plate 29). * Broadley DG. 1969. "A New Species of ''Lycophidion'' from Rhodesia (Serpentes: Colubridae)". ''Arnoldia'' 4 (27): 1–8. (''Lycophidion variegatum'', new species). Colubridae Snakes of Africa Reptiles of Botswana Reptiles of Eswatini Reptiles of South Africa Reptiles of Zambia Reptiles of Zimbabwe Reptiles described in 1969 {{Colubrids-stub

References

Further reading