# Lycodon

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{{Short description|Genus of snakes}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Automatic taxobox | name = ''Lycodon''
| image = Lycodon aulicus sal.jpg
| image_caption = ''[Lycodon aulicus](/source/Lycodon_aulicus)''
| taxon = Lycodon
| authority = [Fitzinger](/source/Leopold_Fitzinger), 1826<ref>[Fitzinger LI](/source/Leopold_Fitzinger) (1826). ''Neue Classification der Reptilien nach ihren natürlichen Verwandtschaften. Nebst einer Verwandtschafts-tafel und einem Verzeichnisse der Reptilien-Sammlung des K.K. zoologischen Museums zu Wien''. Vienna: J.G. Heubner, five unnumbered + 67 pp. + one plate. (''Lycodon'', new genus, p. 57). (in [German](/source/German_language) and [Latin](/source/Latin)).</ref>
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
See text.
| synonyms = ''Cercaspis, [Coluber](/source/Coluber), Leptorhytaon, [Ophites](/source/Ophites), Dryocalamus, Sphecodes, Tetragonosoma, Tytleria''<ref name="Blgr1893">[Boulenger GA](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger) (1893). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume I., Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I–XXVIII. (Genus ''Lycodon'', p. 348, Figure 23).</ref>
}}

[[File:Lycodon subcinctus.jpg|thumb|''[Lycodon subcinctus](/source/Lycodon_subcinctus)'', Malayan banded wolfsnake, in [Letefoho](/source/Letefoho), [East Timor](/source/East_Timor)]]

'''''Lycodon''''' is a [genus](/source/genus) of [snake](/source/snake)s, commonly known as '''wolf snakes''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/ |title=Home |website=britannica.com}}</ref> in the [subfamily](/source/subfamily) [Colubrinae](/source/Colubrinae) of the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Colubridae](/source/Colubridae).The [Neo-Latin](/source/Neo-Latin) name ''Lycodon'' is derived from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) words λύκος (''lykos'') meaning wolf and οδόν (''odon'') meaning tooth,<ref>Mish, Frederick C. (Editor in Chief) (2004). ''Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition''. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 40a + 1,623 pp. {{ISBN|0-87779-809-5}}. ("lycopodium", p. 742; "odonate", p. 860).</ref> and refers to the fang-like anterior [maxilla](/source/maxilla)ry and [mandibular](/source/Mandible) teeth.<ref name="Blgr1893"/> The [species](/source/species) in the genus ''Lycodon'' are nonvenomous, but many members strongly resemble the venomous kraits (genus ''[Bungarus](/source/Bungarus)'') in appearance, an example of [Batesian mimicry](/source/Batesian_mimicry).

== Fossil record ==
Fossils of ''Lycodon'' are known from the [Early Pliocene](/source/Early_Pliocene) of [Henan](/source/Henan).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shi |first1=Jingsong |author1-link=species:Jing-Song Shi |last2=Wang |first2=Yuan |author2-link=Wang Yuan (palaeontologist) |last3=Messenger |first3=Kevin Robert |author3-link=species:Kevin R. Messenger |last4=Jiangzuo |first4=Qigao |last5=Chen |first5=Yu |author5-link=species:Yu Chen |last6=Jin |first6=Changzhu |author6-link=species:Chang-Zhu Jin |date=2023 |title=Early Pliocene fossil snakes (Squamata, Colubroidea) with various teeth from the fissure deposit in Queshan, Henan, China |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2022.2161382 |journal=Historical Biology |language=en |pages=1–22 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2022.2161382 |issn=0891-2963 |access-date=21 September 2024 |via=Taylor and Francis Online|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Species==
The genus ''Lycodon'' comprises 79 [species](/source/species) which are recognized as being valid.<ref name="Reptile Database">{{cite web|url=http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/search?search=Lycodon&submit=Search|title=''Lycodon ''|work=The Reptile Database|accessdate=11 June 2015|last=Uetz|first=Peter|author-link=species:Peter Uetz|last2=Hallermann|first2=Jakob|author2-link=species:Jakob Hallermann}}</ref>

*''[Lycodon albofuscus](/source/Lycodon_albofuscus)''  {{small|([A.M.C. Duméril](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Marie_Constant_Dum%C3%A9ril), [Bibron](/source/Gabriel_Bibron) & [A.H.A. Duméril](/source/Auguste_Dum%C3%A9ril), 1854)}} – dark wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon alcalai](/source/Lycodon_alcalai)''  {{small|[Ota](/source/Hidetoshi_Ota) & [Ross](/source/species%3ACharles_A._Ross), 1994}} – Alcala's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon anakradaya](/source/Lycodon_anakradaya)'' {{small|[A.T. Nguyen](/source/species%3AAnh_The_Nguyen), [Duong](/source/species%3ATang_Van_Duong), [Wood](/source/Perry_Lee_Wood_Jr.) & [Grismer](/source/Larry_Lee_Grismer), 2022}} 
*''[Lycodon aulicus](/source/Lycodon_aulicus)''  {{small|([Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), [1758](/source/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae))}} – Indian wolf snake, common wolf snake
*''[Lycodon banksi](/source/Lycodon_banksi)'' <small>[Luu](/source/Vinh_Quang_Luu) et al., 2018</small> – Banks's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon bibonius](/source/Lycodon_bibonius)''  {{small|Ota & Ross, 1994}} – Ota's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon bicolor](/source/Lycodon_bicolor)'' {{small|([Nikolsky](/source/Alexander_Nikolsky), 1903)}} – Mackinnon's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon butleri](/source/Lycodon_butleri)''  {{small|[Boulenger](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger), 1900}} – Butler's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon calcarophilus](/source/Lycodon_calcarophilus)'' {{small|[G. Vogel](/source/Gernot_Vogel), Bragin, [Poyarkov](/source/Nikolay_A._Poyarkov_Jr.) & [T.V. Nguyen](/source/Tan_Van_Nguyen), 2025}} – limestone wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon capucinus](/source/Lycodon_capucinus)''  {{small|[F. Boie](/source/Friedrich_Boie), 1827}} – common wolf snake
*''[Lycodon cardamomensis](/source/Lycodon_cardamomensis)''  {{small|[Daltry](/source/Jennifer_C._Daltry) & [Wüster](/source/Wolfgang_W%C3%BCster), 2002}}
*''[Lycodon carinatus](/source/Lycodon_carinatus)'' {{small|([Kuhl](/source/Heinrich_Kuhl), 1820)}} – Ceylon wolf snake
*''[Lycodon cathaya](/source/Lycodon_cathaya)'' {{small|[J. Wang](/source/species%3AJian_Wang_(herpetologist)), [Qi](/source/species%3AShuo_Qi), [Lyu](/source/species%3AZhi-Tong_Lyu), [Zeng](/source/species%3AZhao-Chi_Zeng) & [Y.-Y. Wang](/source/species%3AYing-Yong_Wang), 2020}} – Huaping wolf snake
*''[Lycodon cavernicolus](/source/Lycodon_cavernicolus)'' {{small|Grismer, [Quah](/source/Evan_S.H._Quah), [Anuar](/source/Shahrul_Anuar_Mohd_Sah), [Muin](/source/Mohd_Abdul_Muin), Wood & [Nor](/source/species%3ASiti_Azizah_Mohd_Nor), 2014}} – Gua Wang Burma wolf snake
*''[Lycodon chapaensis](/source/Lycodon_chapaensis)'' <small>([Angel](/source/Fernand_Angel) & [Bourret](/source/Ren%C3%A9_L%C3%A9on_Bourret), 1933)</small> –  Namdong wolf snake
*''[Lycodon chithrasekarai](/source/Lycodon_chithrasekarai)'' <small>([Wickramasinghe](/source/Mendis_Wickramasinghe) et al., 2020)</small> – Chithrasekara's bridle snake
*''[Lycodon chrysoprateros](/source/Lycodon_chrysoprateros)''  {{small|Ota & Ross, 1994}} – Ross's wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon davidi](/source/Lycodon_davidi)'' {{small|G. Vogel et al., 2012}} – David's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon davisonii](/source/Lycodon_davisonii)'' {{small|([Blanford](/source/William_Thomas_Blanford), 1878)}} – Blanford's bridal snake
*''[Lycodon deccanensis](/source/Lycodon_deccanensis)'' {{small|[Ganesh](/source/Sumaithangi_Rajagopalan_Ganesh), [Deuti](/source/species%3AKaushik_Deuti), [Punith](/source/species%3AK.G._Punith), [Achyuthan](/source/Achyuthan_Needemangalam_Srikanthan), [Mallik](/source/Ashok_Kumar_Mallik), [Adhikari](/source/species%3AOmkar_Dilip_Adhikari) & G. Vogel, 2020}} 
*''[Lycodon dumerili](/source/Lycodon_dumerili)''  {{small|(Boulenger, 1893)}} – Duméril's wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon duytan](/source/Lycodon_duytan)'' {{small|T.V. Nguyen, Poyarkov & G. Vogel, 2025}}
*''[Lycodon effraenis](/source/Lycodon_effraenis)''  {{small|[Cantor](/source/Theodore_Edward_Cantor), 1847}} – brown wolf snake
*''[Lycodon fasciatus](/source/Lycodon_fasciatus)''  {{small|([J. Anderson](/source/John_Anderson_(zoologist)), 1879)}}
*''[Lycodon fasciolatus](/source/Lycodon_fasciolatus)''  {{small|([Shaw](/source/George_Shaw_(biologist)), 1802)}} – banded wolf snake
*''[Lycodon fausti](/source/Lycodon_fausti)''  {{small|[Gaulke](/source/Maren_Gaulke), 2002}} – Faust's wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon ferroni](/source/Lycodon_ferroni)''  {{small|[Lanza](/source/Benedetto_Lanza), 1999}} – Ferron's Asian wolf snake
*''[Lycodon flavicollis](/source/Lycodon_flavicollis)''  {{small|[Mukherjee](/source/species%3ADebanik_Mukherjee) & [Bhupathy](/source/Subramanian_Bhupathy), 2007}} – yellow-collared wolf snake
*''[Lycodon flavomaculatus](/source/Lycodon_flavomaculatus)''  {{small|[Wall](/source/Frank_Wall_(herpetologist)), 1907}} – yellow-spotted wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon flavozonatus](/source/Lycodon_flavozonatus)'' {{small|([Pope](/source/Clifford_H._Pope), 1928)}} – yellow-banded big tooth snake, yellow-spotted wolf snake, big-tooth snake
*''[Lycodon futsingensis](/source/Lycodon_futsingensis)''  {{small|(Pope, 1928)}}
*''[Lycodon gammiei](/source/Lycodon_gammiei)'' {{small|(Blanford, 1878)}} – Gammie's wolf snake, Sikkim false wolf snake
*''[Lycodon gibsonae](/source/Lycodon_gibsonae)''  {{small|G. Vogel & [David](/source/Patrick_David), 2019}} – Gibson's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon gongshan](/source/Lycodon_gongshan)''  {{small|G. Vogel & [Luo](/source/species%3AJian_Luo), 2011}} – Gongshan wolf snake
*''[Lycodon gracilis](/source/Lycodon_gracilis)''  {{small|([Günther](/source/Albert_G%C3%BCnther), 1864)}} – scarce bridal snake
*''[Lycodon hypsirhinoides](/source/Lycodon_hypsirhinoides)'' {{small|([Theobald](/source/William_Theobald), 1868)}}
*''[Lycodon irwini](/source/Lycodon_irwini)'' {{small|[Naveen](/source/species%3ARavi_Shanthy_Naveen), [Mirza](/source/Zeeshan_Mirza), [Choure](/source/species%3AGirish_Choure) & [Chandramouli](/source/S.R._Chandramouli), 2025}} – Irwin's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon jara](/source/Lycodon_jara)''  {{small|(Shaw, 1802)}} – twin-spotted wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon kundui](/source/Lycodon_kundui)''  {{small|[M.A. Smith](/source/Malcolm_Arthur_Smith), 1943}}
*''[Lycodon laoensis](/source/Lycodon_laoensis)''  {{small|Günther, 1864}} – Laotian wolf snake
*''[Lycodon latifasciatus](/source/Lycodon_latifasciatus)'' {{small|T.V. Nguyen, [Lee](/source/Justin_L._Lee), [K. Jiang](/source/species%3AKe_Jiang), [Ding](/source/species%3ALi_Ding), [Chit](/source/species%3AMay_Thu_Chit), Poyarkov & G. Vogel, 2025}} – East Himalayan banded wolf snake
*''[Lycodon liuchengchaoi](/source/Lycodon_liuchengchaoi)'' {{small|[Zhang](/source/species%3AJun_Zhang) et al., 2011}}
*''[Lycodon muelleri](/source/Lycodon_muelleri)''  {{small|A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854}} – Müller's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon multifasciatus](/source/Lycodon_multifasciatus)'' {{small|([Maki](/source/species%3AMoichir%C5%8D_Maki), 1931)}}
*''[Lycodon multizonatus](/source/Lycodon_multizonatus)'' {{small|([Zhao](/source/Zhao_Ermi) & [Y.-M. Jiang](/source/species%3AYao-Ming_Jiang), 1981)}} – Luding wolf snake, Luding kukri snake
*''[Lycodon namdongensis](/source/Lycodon_namdongensis)'' {{small|Luu, [Ziegler](/source/Thomas_Ziegler_(zoologist)), [Ha](/source/species%3ANghia_Van_Ha), [Le](/source/Minh_Duc_Le) & [Hoang](/source/species%3ATuoi_Thi_Hoang), 2019}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Luu |first1=Vinh Quang |author1-link=species:Vinh Quang Luu |last2=Ziegler |first2=Thomas |author2-link=species:Thomas Ziegler |last3=Ha |first3=Nghia Van |author3-link=species:Nghia Van Ha |last4=Le |first4=Minh Duc |author4-link=Minh Duc Le |last5=Hoang |first5=Tuoi Thi |author5-link=species:Tuoi Thi Hoang |date=2019 |title=A new species of ''Lycodon'' Boie, 1826 (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332462303 |journal=Zootaxa |volume=4586 |issue=2 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4586.2.3 |issn=1175-5334}}</ref>
*''[Lycodon neomaculatus](/source/Lycodon_neomaculatus)'' {{small|T.V. Nguyen, Lee, [Pauwels](/source/Olivier_Sylvain_G%C3%A9rard_Pauwels), [Kennedy-Gold](/source/species%3AStevie_R._Kennedy-Gold), Poyarkov, David & G. Vogel, 2024}} – Indochinese banded wolfsnake
*''[Lycodon nympha](/source/Lycodon_nympha)'' {{small|([Daudin](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_Marie_Daudin), 1803)}} – Vellore bridal snake
*''[Lycodon obvelatus](/source/Lycodon_obvelatus)'' {{small|[K. Wang](/source/species%3AKai_Wang), [Yu](/source/species%3AZhong-Bin_Yu), G. Vogel & [Che](/source/Jing_Che), 2020}} – recluse wolf snake
*''[Lycodon ophiophagus](/source/Lycodon_ophiophagus)'' {{small|G. Vogel et al., 2009}} – snake-eater wolf snake
*''[Lycodon orientalis](/source/Lycodon_orientalis)'' {{small|([Hilgendorf](/source/Franz_Martin_Hilgendorf), 1880)}} – Oriental odd-tooth snake
*''[Lycodon paucifasciatus](/source/Lycodon_paucifasciatus)'' {{small|[Rendahl](/source/Hialmar_Rendahl) ''in'' M.A. Smith, 1943}} – Rendahl's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon philippinus](/source/Lycodon_philippinus)'' {{small|([Griffin](/source/species%3ALawrence_Edmonds_Griffin), 1909)}} – Philippine dryocalamus
*''[Lycodon pictus](/source/Lycodon_pictus)'' {{small|[Janssen](/source/species%3AHelen_Y._Janssen), [Pham](/source/species%3ACuong_The_Pham), [Ngo](/source/species%3AHanh_Thi_Ngo), Le, [T.Q. Nguyen](/source/Truong_Quang_Nguyen) & Ziegler, 2019}}
*''[Lycodon poyarkovii](/source/Lycodon_poyarkovii)'' {{small|T.V. Nguyen & G. Vogel, 2025}} – Poyarkov's big-tooth snake
*''[Lycodon rosozonatus](/source/Lycodon_rosozonatus)'' {{small|([Hu](/source/species%3AShu-Qin_Hu) & Zhao, 1972)}} – rose big-tooth snake
*''[Lycodon rufozonatus](/source/Lycodon_rufozonatus)'' {{small|Cantor, 1842}} – red-banded snake
*''[Lycodon ruhstrati](/source/Lycodon_ruhstrati)'' {{small|([Fischer](/source/Johann_Gustav_Fischer), 1886)}} – mountain wolf snake, Formosa wolf snake
*''[Lycodon sealei](/source/Lycodon_sealei)'' {{small|[Leviton](/source/Alan_Edward_Leviton), 1955}} – Seale's banded Asian wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon semicarinatus](/source/Lycodon_semicarinatus)'' {{small|([Cope](/source/Edward_Drinker_Cope), 1860)}} – Loo-Choo big-tooth snake, Ryukyu odd-tooth snake
*''[Lycodon septentrionalis](/source/Lycodon_septentrionalis)'' {{small|(Günther, 1875)}} – white-banded wolf snake, northern large-toothed snake
*''[Lycodon serratus](/source/Lycodon_serratus)'' {{small|K. Wang, Yu, G. Vogel & Che, 2020}} – serrate-banded wolf snake
*''[Lycodon sidiki](/source/Lycodon_sidiki)'' {{small|[Wostl](/source/species%3AElijah_Wostl), [Hamidy](/source/species%3AAmir_Hamidy), [Kurniawan](/source/Nia_Kurniawan) & [E.N. Smith](/source/Eric_Nelson_Smith), 2017}}
*''[Lycodon solivagus](/source/Lycodon_solivagus)'' {{small|Ota & Ross, 1994}} – common wolf snake
*''[Lycodon stormi](/source/Lycodon_stormi)'' {{small|[Boettger](/source/Oskar_Boettger), 1892}} – Sulawesi wolf snake
*''[Lycodon striatus](/source/Lycodon_striatus)'' {{small|(Shaw, 1802)}} – northern wolf snake, barred wolf snake
*''[Lycodon subannulatus](/source/Lycodon_subannulatus)'' {{small|(A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854)}} – Malayan bridal snake, southern bridle snake
*''[Lycodon subcinctus](/source/Lycodon_subcinctus)'' {{small|F. Boie, 1827}} – Malayan banded wolf snake
*''[Lycodon synaptor](/source/Lycodon_synaptor)'' {{small|G. Vogel & David, 2010}} – Boehme's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon tessellatus](/source/Lycodon_tessellatus)'' {{small|[Jan](/source/Giorgio_Jan), 1863}} – Manila wolf snake
*''[Lycodon tiwarii](/source/Lycodon_tiwarii)'' {{small|[Biswas](/source/Sayantan_Biswas) & [Sanyal](/source/species%3AD.P._Sanyal), 1965}} – Andaman wolf snake
*''[Lycodon travancoricus](/source/Lycodon_travancoricus)'' {{small|([Beddome](/source/Richard_Henry_Beddome), 1870)}} – Travancore wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon tristrigatus](/source/Lycodon_tristrigatus)'' {{small|(Günther, 1858)}}
*''[Lycodon truongi](/source/Lycodon_truongi)'' {{small|A.T. Nguyen, Duong, Wood & Grismer, 2022}} – Truong's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon walli](/source/Lycodon_walli)'' {{small|([Stejneger](/source/Leonhard_Stejneger), 1907)}} – Wall's red-banded snake 
*''[Lycodon yunnanensis](/source/Lycodon_yunnanensis)'' {{small|([F. Werner](/source/Franz_Werner), 1922)}} – Yunnan wolf snake 
*''[Lycodon zawi](/source/Lycodon_zawi)'' {{small|[Slowinski](/source/Joseph_Bruno_Slowinski) et al., 2001}}<ref>{{EMBL species|genus=Lycodon|species=zawi}} www.reptile-database.org.</ref> – Zaw's wolf snake
*''[Lycodon zayuensis](/source/Lycodon_zayuensis)'' {{small|K. Jiang, [Y.-F. Wang](/source/species%3AYu-Fan_Wang_(herpetologist)), [Jin](/source/Jie-Qiong_Jin) & Che, 2020}}
*''[Lycodon zoosvictoriae](/source/Lycodon_zoosvictoriae)'' {{small|[Neang](/source/species%3AThy_Neang), [Hartmann](/source/species%3ATimo_Hartmann), [Seiha](/source/species%3ASeiha_Hun), [Souter](/source/species%3ANicholas_J._Souter) & [Furey](/source/species%3ANeil_M._Furey), 2014}} – Zoos Victoria's wolf snake

''[Nota bene](/source/Nota_bene)'': A [binomial authority](/source/Binomial_nomenclature) in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Lycodon''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2450227}}

Category:Lycodon
Category:Snake genera
Category:Taxa named by Leopold Fitzinger
Category:Long stubs with short prose

{{Colubrinae-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lycodon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycodon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycodon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.