SovereigntyQuest on Nostr: Well, it's morning now and I've been doing some thinking. My first thought when I saw ...
Well, it's morning now and I've been doing some thinking. My first thought when I saw the snake last night was..."That's a wolf snake isn't it?" I've seen many before in Hong Kong, a few of them much closer to a black colour. So I do my research online and find out that there has been some scientific questioning of the exact species of Lycodon that is identified in the Mascarenes. It is an introduced species and it's origin is unclear. Lycodon aulicus is closely related but geographically and taxonomically different to the more easterly occurring Lycodon capucinus.
So, we get to taxonomy. One thing I was always aware of in Hong Kong was that I'd been confused a number of times before when I'd seen Lycodon capucinus. I was always a bit wary when I'd seen one as they, especially in bad light/can't see the whole snake etc, somewhat resembled maybe a Bungarus multicinctus(Many Banded Krait), a young King(Ophiophagus hannah) or perhaps a young Chinese Cobra(Naja atra), all well dangerously venomous. Lycodon capucinus are quite speckled but the banding is somewhat evident. Put side by side the difference between them is obvious but nature doesn't always give you a nice clear view of things in the heat of the moment. Don't Trust, Verify!
Back to the snake last night, Lycodon aulicus it seems is somewhat more clearly banded than Lycodon capunicus and that brings up the idea of Batesian mimicry. From Britannica....
"Batesian mimicry, a form of biological resemblance in which a noxious, or dangerous, organism (the model), equipped with a warning system such as conspicuous coloration, is mimicked by a harmless organism (the mimic). The mimic gains protection because predators mistake it for the model and leave it alone."
Can confirm..... it worked!
Last night I did manage to handle the snake. It tried a few strikes/bites but not being venomous and fairly small I wasn't overly worried.
Another (bad) photo of the snake climbing in the kitchen.
So, we get to taxonomy. One thing I was always aware of in Hong Kong was that I'd been confused a number of times before when I'd seen Lycodon capucinus. I was always a bit wary when I'd seen one as they, especially in bad light/can't see the whole snake etc, somewhat resembled maybe a Bungarus multicinctus(Many Banded Krait), a young King(Ophiophagus hannah) or perhaps a young Chinese Cobra(Naja atra), all well dangerously venomous. Lycodon capucinus are quite speckled but the banding is somewhat evident. Put side by side the difference between them is obvious but nature doesn't always give you a nice clear view of things in the heat of the moment. Don't Trust, Verify!
Back to the snake last night, Lycodon aulicus it seems is somewhat more clearly banded than Lycodon capunicus and that brings up the idea of Batesian mimicry. From Britannica....
"Batesian mimicry, a form of biological resemblance in which a noxious, or dangerous, organism (the model), equipped with a warning system such as conspicuous coloration, is mimicked by a harmless organism (the mimic). The mimic gains protection because predators mistake it for the model and leave it alone."
Can confirm..... it worked!
Last night I did manage to handle the snake. It tried a few strikes/bites but not being venomous and fairly small I wasn't overly worried.
Another (bad) photo of the snake climbing in the kitchen.
quoting nevent1q…3g0aIndian Wolf Snake-Lycodon aulicus. A non venomous snake. About a foot long and finger size fat.
Just found him hunting in my kitchen. No doubt on the search for the house geckos. I'm cool with him in the house but my wife isn't! Have released him down by the river.
Beautiful.
😎
