Lycodon travancoricus


Lycodon travancoricus, commonly known as the Travancore wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake endemic to Peninsular India.

Description

Lycodon travancoricus is dark brown or black dorsally, with white crossbands and white lineolations on the sides. Ventrally it is uniform white. It is very similar to Lycodon striatus, but the upper lip is brown, or white spotted with brown.
The dorsal scales are smooth, in 17 rows. The ventrals number 175-202; the anal is entire; and the subcaudals are 56-76, usually double, but sometimes single.
Adults may attain 60 cm in total length, with a tail 12.5 cm long Maximum 742mm.

Geographic range

It is endemic to Peninsular India. It is a hill-dwelling species, preferring high-elevation wet forests. It occurs in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, southern Gujarat and Odisha), and also in isolated localities in Kerala and Maharashtra.

Habits and Habitat

It is a nocturnal snake. It prefers forests, both evergreen and deciduous, on windward plains and hills.