Common Wolf Snake

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Common Wolf Snake
Common Wolf Snake

Last time when I saw this Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus) it was juvenile. I saw this snake on Nag Panchami Day a day of revering snakes 😉 . I am not really sure it is the same snake or any of of its brethren. But surely it had grown up and developed a nice bands which made this non-poisonous look like poisonous snake Banded Krait. This was a nice example of Batesian Mimicry.

Close up of the head
Close up of the head

These bands were not visible in the juvenile which I photographed earlier. Snake was as easy to handle as before without showing any aggressiveness.

Common Wolf Snake
Common Wolf Snake

I photographed and released the snake back in my backyard, so that I will have another glimpse few days or weeks later.

EXIF info - Aperture : ƒ/11 | Camera : Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Taken : 28 July, 2009 | Flash fired : yes | Focal length : 100mm | ISO : 100 | Location : 13° 4′ 1.7997600119994″ N 74° 59′ 44.314800313234″ E | Shutter speed : 1/200s | Images and content Copyright © Krishna Mohan. Please contact me to purchase prints or for image publication license.
EXIF info - Aperture : ƒ/11 | Camera : Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Taken : 28 July, 2009 | Flash fired : yes | Focal length : 100mm | ISO : 100 | Location : 13° 4′ 1.7997600119994″ N 74° 59′ 44.314800313234″ E | Shutter speed : 1/200s | Images and content Copyright © Krishna Mohan. Please contact me to purchase prints or for image publication license.
EXIF info - Aperture : ƒ/11 | Camera : Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Taken : 28 July, 2009 | Flash fired : yes | Focal length : 100mm | ISO : 100 | Location : 13° 4′ 1.7997600119994″ N 74° 59′ 44.314800313234″ E | Shutter speed : 1/200s | Images and content Copyright © Krishna Mohan. Please contact me to purchase prints or for image publication license.

7 thoughts on “Common Wolf Snake”

  1. Very nice closeup shots.

    I see blue scales, mostly where the light reflected in particular angle. Is it a light effect or it is the color of those scales?

  2. Shiva, Those are iridescent scales, which reflected light off my macro flash. Diffuse soft light would have been the best bet in photographing snake. I am still experimenting to get that great soft light while having the flexibility to be mobile. Macro light is not the most flattering light in this situation. I think 580EX with diffuser on a flash bracket may be better solution.
    Krishna Mohan

  3. Hi Dr.Krishi,
    Nice photos
    It is Travancore wolf snake (Lycodon travancoricus) not Common wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus)

  4. Coll photos doc. How did you recognize him to be Wolf snake ? . For the untrained eye this is a Common Krait.
    Is there any distinguishable visual feature ? If this snake was seen by other people he would have been killed, mistaking him to be Common krait.

  5. I really want to be a wild life photographer if any one can help me then plz give me a chance i have also captured some photos if u want to see so plz contact me……………

  6. Last night I saw a wolf snake but I was confused beetwin krait and wolf. Any other way to confirm or identify venomous and non venomous snake. Specialy when they mimicking each other. Plzz let us know

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