Painted Wolf Snake

biology_ecology

Natural history: Lycodon pictus inhabits karst environment in between elevations of 233 m (Nonggang, Guangxi, China, this study, Fig. 5) and 701 m a. s. l. (type locality; Janssen et al., 2019). In southern China, the species was found at night between 00: 00 and 1: 00 am after light rain, active in a drainage ditch along a forest path, covered with dead leaves. The surrounding habitat was secondary karst forest, consisting of short hardwood, shrubs and vines. The snake did not attempt to bite when it was handled, neither aggressive nor defensive behavior was observed. In terms of the herpetofauna, several other amphibians and reptiles were observed during the survey period in 2019 in the same microhabitat, including Kurixalus odontotarsus (Ye & Fei in Ye et al., 1993), Rhacophorus kio (Ohler & Delorme, 2006), Draco maculatus (Gray, 1845), Acanthosaura lepidogaster (Cuvier, 1829), Goniurosaurus luii Grismer, Viets & Boyle, 1999, and Psammodynastes pulverulentus (Boie, 1827).

Range extension and extended diagnosis of Lycodon pictus: First country record from China

description

Description of the Chinese specimen: Head elongate, moderately distinct from neck, rather flattened, longer than wide, snout narrow, distinctly shorter than head width; nostril large, lateral, located in the middle of the nasal; eye large, pupils vertically elliptic; rostral triangular, much broader than high, hardly visible from above; nasal divided, narrowed medially; two internasals, anteriorly round, slightly wider than high, bordered by two large, hexagonal prefrontals posteriorly; frontal single, enlarged, pentagonal to hexagonal, narrowed posteriorly; parietals large, longer than wide, in contact with each other medially, with upper anterior and posterior temporals, paraparietal laterally and four nuchal scales posteriorly; paraparietals elongated, anterior part widened, about equal in length or slightly longer than posterior temporals; loreal 1 / 1, elongate, not entering orbit on right side, whereas the posterior corner entering orbit on the left side (Fig. 3 C and D); supralabials 8 / 8, first and second in contact with nasal, third to fifth entering orbit, sixth largest, slightly higher than third on left side; infralabials 10 / 9, first pair in broad contact with each o

Range extension and extended diagnosis of Lycodon pictus: First country record from China

distribution

Distribution: Lycodon pictus is currently known from the type locality in Cao Bang Province, northern Vietnam and Longzhou County in Guangxi, southern China (Fig. 4).

Range extension and extended diagnosis of Lycodon pictus: First country record from China

etymology

Etymology: The specific name of the species, “ pictus ”, meaning painted or decorated in Latin, refers to the unique dorsal color pattern of this species (Janssen et al., 2019). Because this species is herein reported as a new member of the Chinese snake fauna, we suggest “ Jin Bai Huan She (DZ 白 ẇffi) ” as its Chinese common name, deriving from its scientific name.

Range extension and extended diagnosis of Lycodon pictus: First country record from China