Lycophidion variegatum BROADLEY, 1969

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Higher Taxa	Lamprophiidae, Elapoidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Variegated Wolf Snake G: Bunte Wolfsnatter
Synonym	Lycophidion variegatum BROADLEY 1969 Lycophidion variegatum — AUERBACH 1987: 157 Lycophidion variegatum — BOYCOTT 1992 Lycophidion variegatum — BROADLEY et al. 2003: 146 Lycophidion variegatum — LIVIGNI 2013: 287 Lycophidion variegatum — WALLACH et al. 2014: 412 Lycophidion variegatum — PIETERSEN et al. 2021 Lycophidion variegatum — STANDER 2023: 284
Distribution	Zimbabwe, Republic of South Africa (N Zululand through Transvaal) Eswatini (Swaziland), Botswana, Zambia, Malawi Type locality: Chitora River, 40 km south of Umtali, Rhodesia, ca. 920 m elevation.
Reproduction	oviparous
Types	Holotype: NMZB, previously UM 10666, adult male
Diagnosis	Diagnosis: Nostril pierced near the rear edge of the nasal, which is followed by a postnasal that is well separated from the first supralabial. Dorsal scales with single apical pits in 17-17-15 rows, the reduction taking place well before the vent; ventrals 183-200 in males, 189-204 in females, subcaudals 33-40 in males, 28-33 in females (Broadley 1996: 16). Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data. However, these details, e.g. detailed descriptions (about about .3 pages) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us if you need any of this material.
Comment	Distribution: Map: Broadley 1996
Etymology	Named after Latin variegatus, colored, party colored, variegated, i.e. the variable, irregular patches.
References	Auerbach, R.D. 1987. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Mokwepa Consultants, Botswana, 295 pp. Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp. Boycott, R.C. 1992. An Annotated Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Swaziland. The Conservation Trust of Swaziland - get paper here Branch, W.R. 1976. The Wolf snakes Lycophidion capense and Lycophidion variegatum (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae) in South Africa. Journal of Herpetology 10: 1-11 - get paper here Branch, William R. 1993. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 144 S. Broadley D G. 1991. A review of the Namibian snakes of the genus Lycophidion (Serpentes: Colubridae), with the description of a new endemic species. Annals Transvaal Mus. 35 (14): 209-215 - get paper here Broadley, D G 1992. The taxonomy and zoogeography of the genus Lycophidion (Serpentes: Colubridae). Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 40: 30-36 - get paper here Broadley, D. & Blaylock 2013. The Snakes of Zimbabwe and Botswana. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 387 pp. [book review in Sauria 35 (2): 59 and Copeia 2014: 388] - get paper here Broadley, D.G. 1969. A new species of Lycophidion from Rhodesia (Serpentes: Colubridae). Arnoldia 4 (27): 1-8 Broadley, D.G. 1996. A revision of the genus Lycophidion Fitzinger (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Africa south of the equator. Syntarsus 3: 1-33. - get paper here Broadley, D.G.; Doria, C.T. & Wigge, J. 2003. Snakes of Zambia. An Atlas and Field Guide. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 280 pp. [review in Sauria 26 (3): 21] LiVigni, F. (ed.) 2013. A Life for Reptiles and Amphibians, Volume 1. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 495 pp. - get paper here Pietersen, Darren, Verburgt, Luke & Davies, John 2021. Snakes and other reptiles of Zambia and Malawi. Struik Nature / Penguin Random House South Africa, 376 pp., ISBN 9781775847373 Stander, R.I. 2023. The Reptiles of the Limpopo Province and Kruger National Park. Herp Nomad, Polokwane, South Africa, 367 pp. - get paper here Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria - get paper here Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams, Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp. Wilkey, Rupert & Sarah Nann 2025. Field Guide to the Snakes of Eswatini. Pelagic, 208 pp., DOI: 10.53061/FWDV3720 - get paper here Wyk, Kurt M van; Bryan Maritz & Bruce W Clegg 2025. Distribution and status of reptile species in south-eastern Zimbabwe. African Journal of Herpetology, 74:2, 210-270, - get paper here
External links	IUCN Red List Google images

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