Lycodonomorphus rufulus
Brown Water Snake
Alternative Names:
Bruin Waterslang (Afrikaans)
Izilenzi (Xhosa)
Ivusamanzi elimdubu (Zulu)
Common Brown Water Snake (English)
Species: Lycodonomorphus rufulus (Lichtenstein, 1823)
Distribution: Eswatini; Lesotho; Mozambique; South Africa; Zimbabwe
Distribution extended:
Type Locality: Afr. austr.
Notes: South Africa
Habitat: Forest, Shrubland, Grassland
Habitat extended: Found in a wide range of habitats, generally within mesic areas or areas near waterbodies.
Natural History: Generally within proximity to water bodies. Often shelters during the day underneath logs and rocks. Nocturnal: feeding predominantly on amphibians.
Biology: Females can lay up to 10 eggs.
Conservation Status: According to the IUCN Red List, this species is classified as "Least Concern," indicating that it is not currently considered to be at high risk of extinction.
Additional information
The Reptile Database - (See here)
IUCN Red List (See here)
iNaturalist (See here)
LITERATURE
Broadley, D.G. (1967). A review of the genus Lycodonomorphus Fitzinger (Serpentes : Colubridae) in south-eastern Africa, with a key to the genus. Arnoldia, 3(16), 1-9.
Dowling, H. G. (1969). Relations of some African colubrid snakes. Copeia, 234-242.
Jacobsen, N. (1978). Colloquial names for southern African reptiles and amphibians. The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 18(1), 7-13.
Keates, C., Conradie, W., Dalu, T., Dondofema, F., Riddell, E. S., & Wasserman, R. J. (2022). Phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic Floodplain water snake, Lycodonomorphus obscuriventris FitzSimons, 1964. Koedoe, 64(1), 1-9.
Kelly, C. M., Branch, W. R., Broadley, D. G., Barker, N. P., & Villet, M. H. (2011). Molecular systematics of the African snake family Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843 (Serpentes: Elapoidea), with particular focus on the genera Lamprophis Fitzinger 1843 and Mehelya Csiki 1903. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 58(3), 415-426.
Lichtenstein, H. (1823). Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Königlische Universität zu Berlin: nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Säugethieren, Vögeln, Amphibien und Fischen. Trautwein.
Ping, T., & Godwin, J. (2023). Natural History Note: Brown Water Snake Lycodonomorphus rufulus (Lichtenstein, 1823) Brown Water Snake Maximum Size. African Herp News, (83), 42-43.
Rasmussen, J. B. (2004). A review of Whyte's Water‐snake, Lycodonomorphus whytii (Serpentes: Colubridae: Lamprophiinae). African Journal of Herpetology, 53(2), 155-162.
Taylor, P. (1970). An observation on the feeding habits of Lycodonomorphus rufulus. The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa, 6(1), 19-20.