biology

Lycodon capucinus

Lycodon capucinus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lycodon capucinus rather than just read about it. In short: Lycodon capucinus, also known as the common wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake commonly found in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. The species is named after the enlarged front teeth which give them a muzzled appearance similar to canines and makes the snout somewhat more squarish than other snakes.

Key takeaways

Lycodon capucinus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lycodon capucinus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lycodon capucinus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lycodon capucinus, also known as the common wolf snake, is a species of colubrid snake commonly found in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. The species is named after the enlarged front teeth which give them a muzzled appearance similar to canines and makes the snout somewhat more squarish than other snakes.

Description

A slender-bodied small snake that ranges from barely three feet to less than one meter. Most wild-caught specimens usually reach less than these lengths. Coloration is adapted for life underground and on the forest floor. Shades of jet black, reddish-brown or dark gray with speckles, blotches and spots of white or pale yellow scattered over the body are its usual colors. There is also a distinct white coloration around its neck. Their color patterns vary from one geographic location to another. There are albino-colored ones which are very rare among this snake species. The snout is duck-bill-shaped for digging in soft or sandy ground, with enlarged front teeth. This species is relatively benign (not harmful) to humans.

Distribution The common wolf snake is found in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Laos, SE China, Hong Kong, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, India, Bali, Sumbawa, Sumba, Komodo, Flores, Lomblen, Alor, Sawu, Roti, Timor, Wetar, Babar Islands, Kalao, Salajar, Buton, Sulawesi), West Malaysia, Johor: Pulau Besar, Maldives, Mascarenes (Mauritius, Reunion; fide Glaw, pers. comm.), Borneo, and The Philippines (Bantayan, Bohol, Cebu, Cuyo, Leyte, Luzon, Pampanga, Masbate, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Romblon, Samar), Tarlac.

Behavior The common wolf snake is non-venomous. Even when they do bite humans, the impact is usually not harmful. Most bites result in pain and swelling, and do not result in any serious harm. It is quite a nervous snake when picked up or handled and will not hesitate to bite. They may also move their tails in a to-and-fro motion much like a rattlesnake when they feel threatened. A fossorial animal, it loves burrowing down in the earth but is most often found in open ground, on rocks or in low vegetation, sometimes showing a semi-arboreal behavior. A nocturnal creature, it is most active during the night, but is also observed during daybreak. It also climbs on walls of any building. Most captive specimens become tame after some time and with proper handling.

Diet In the wild, Lycodon capucinus feeds mainly on small lizards such as geckos and they are also among the top predators of skinks which makes it common to humans due to the abundance of prey near and in homes. They may also devour small frogs, if available. In captivity, they may be trained to feed on slender fishes such as goby or lizard-scented pinkie mice, though the latter proves to be harder.

Conservation status The IUCN listed this species as of 'Least Concern.' Though a very common snake, it is seldom seen. Continuous destruction of primary and secondary forests, conversion of fertile lands to agricultural and residential areas as well as indiscriminate human killings can threaten the survival of this animal. It is endangered in numerous parts of mainland Asia and peninsular Southeast Asia.

References

Daltry, J.C. & Wüster, W. 2002 A new species of Wolf Snake (Serpentes: Colubrida, Lycodon) from the Cardamom Mountains, Southwestern Cambodia. Herpetologica 58 (4): 498-504 Das, I. 1999 Biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. In: Ota, H. (ed) Tropical Island herpetofauna.., Elsevier, pp. 43–77 Daudin, F. M. 1803 Histoire Naturelle Generale et Particuliere des Reptiles. Vol. 6. F. Dufart, Paris. Fritts, T.H. 1993 The Common Wolf Snake, Lycodon aulicus capucinus, a Recent Colonist of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean Wildlife Res 20 (2): 261-266 Kuch, U. and J. A. McGuire 2004 Range extensions of Lycodon capucinus Boie, 1827 in eastern Indonesia. Herpetozoa 17 (3/4): 191-193 Lang, R. de 2013 The Snakes of the Moluccas (Maluku, Indonesia, A field guide to the land and non-marine aquatic snakes of the Moluccas with identification key. 136-140

External links Lycodon capucinus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database Common Wolf Snake

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lycodon capucinus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lycodon capucinus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lycodon capucinus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lycodon capucinus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lycodon capucinus

In research: Lycodon capucinus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lycodon capucinus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lycodon capucinus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fauna of Christmas Island, IUCN Red List least concern species, Lycodon, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lycodon capucinus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lycodon capucinus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lycodon capucinus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lycodon capucinus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lycodon capucinus in simple terms?

Why does Lycodon capucinus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lycodon capucinus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lycodon capucinus.