White-banded Wolf Snake

Lycodon subcinctus

⚠️ Mildly venomous

Description

The White-banded Wolf Snake (Lycodon subcinctus) is a slender, nocturnal colubrid snake commonly found in Southeast Asia. It is characterized by its striking black body with distinct white or pale yellow bands encircling it, giving it a resemblance to the highly venomous banded krait. This mimicry often leads to confusion, but the species itself is harmless to humans. It prefers moist habitats such as forests, plantations, and areas near human settlements where it hunts for small lizards and frogs.

Venomous?

Mildly venomous, it has rear fangs and mild venom used to subdue small prey, but it poses no danger to humans.

A Danger to Humans?

Not aggressive. When threatened, it may attempt to bite or mimic the behavior of venomous snakes, but bites are rare and medically insignificant.

Population Size

Stable

Life Span

-

WEIGHT​

30.5 g

LENGTH

800 mm – 1200 mm

Ar

Arboreal

Ca

Carnivore

No

Nocturnal

Te

Terrestrial

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Chordata

CLASS

:

Reptilia

ORDER

:

Squamata

FAMILY

:

Colubridae

GENUS

:

Lycodon

SPECIES

:

Lycodon subcinctus

Distribution

On Bali known from agricultural land near Kedisan and Gunung Batur, Bangli, at approximately 1400 m asl. Elsewhere recorded from various forests up to 1800 m asl.

Geography

Continents : Asia

Country : Myanmar, Southern China including Hongkong, and Indonesia from Sumatra to Sumbawa

Habits and Lifestyle

White-banded Wolf Snake is a nocturnal spesies. They are usually rests under heaps of rubble, logs, and leaf litter, insides crevices, underneath bark and within storerooms during day. When disturbed, hides head underneath coils of body, and sometimes vibrates tail

Lifestyle

Terrestrial and arboreal

Biome

Forest

Climate Zone

Tropical

Diet and Nutrition

White-banded Wolf Snake are carnivore that eat on geckos, and skinks, as well as frogs. Teeth specialized for durophagy.

Diet : Carnivora

Mating Habits

Oviparous spesies, females lay 5 – 11 eggs, measuring approximately 33 by 13 mm. The eggs are incubated lasts 10 – 12 weeks.

Reproduction session :

Incubation periods : 10-12 weeks

Independent age : at birth

Baby name : –

Baby carrying : 5 – 11 eggs

Population

Population status : Least Concern (LC)

NE

DD

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

Population threats​

No major threats are known for this species.

Population number​

White-banded Wolf Snake is assessed as Least Concern because of its wide distribution both geographically and ecologically. No threats are known for this species that it is present also in protected areas.

PHOTO GALLERY

Reference

  1. White-banded Wolf Snake on The IUCN Red List site
  2. Somaweera, R. 2017. A Naturalist’s Guide To The Reptiles and Amphibians of Bali. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, England.
  3. McKay, J.L. 2006. Reptil and Amphibi di Bali. Krieger Publishing Company, Florida, USA.