Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 9, 2026

Lycodon irwini

Lycodon irwini, or Irwin's wolf snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is native to the Nicobar Islands of India.

Last revised
Aug 9, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
221 w
Citations
6
Source
Lycodon irwini
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Lycodon
Species:
L. irwini
Binomial name
Lycodon irwini

Lycodon irwini, or Irwin's wolf snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is native to the Nicobar Islands of India.12

Etymology

The specific name of the species, irwini , is a patronym honouring Steve Irwin, an Australian zookeeper and conservationist who died in an accident involving a stingray.1

Description

Lycodon irwini on average reaches a length of about 71 to 84 centimeters (27.9 to 33 inches), in rare instances going up to 119 centimeters (46.8 inches).1 The body is slender, with a long tail gradually tapering to a whitish terminal scute. The head is oblong-shaped and slightly flattened. It has an average tail length of 16 to 18 centimeters (6.2 to 7 inches).1

Distribution and habitat

Lycodon irwini favors moist evergreen forests. It is only known from Great Nicobar Island, suggesting it may be endemic to the island.1

References

References

  1. Naveen, R. S.; Mirza, Zeeshan A.; Choure, Girish; Chandramouli, S. R. (2025-11-07). "A 'Crikey' new snake: An insular Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata, Colubridae) from the Nicobar Archipelago, India". Evolutionary Systematics. 9 (2): 221–228. doi:10.3897/evolsyst.9.170645. ISSN 2535-0730.
  2. "Lycodon irwini - Wikispecies". species.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2025-11-13.