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Lycophidion variegatum BROADLEY, 1969

IUCN Red List - Lycophidion variegatum - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaLamprophiidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Variegated Wolf Snake
G: Bunte Wolfsnatter 
SynonymLycophidion 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 
DistributionZimbabwe, Republic of South Africa (N Zululand through Transvaal) Eswatini (Swaziland), Botswana, Zambia

Type locality: Chitora River, 40 km south of Umtali, Rhodesia, ca. 920 m elevation.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: NMZB, previously UM 10666, adult male 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: 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).


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CommentDistribution: Map: Broadley 1996 
EtymologyNamed 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
  • Rupert Wilkey & Sarah Nann 2025. Field Guide to the Snakes of Eswatini. Pelagic, 208 pp., DOI: 10.53061/FWDV3720 - get paper here
  • 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
  • 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.
 
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