Pedioplanis burchelli explained

Pedioplanis burchelli, known commonly as Burchell's sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, burchelli, is in honor of William John Burchell who was an English explorer and naturalist.^[1]

Range

P. burchelli is found in Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of P. burchelli are savanna, shrubland, and grassland.

Description

Adults of P. burchelli have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5cm-5.5cmcm (01.8inches-02.2inchescm). Coloration is very variable. The lower eyelid is opaque, without any transparent "window" scales. There are no enlarged temporal or tympanic shields.^[2]

Reproduction

P. burchelli is oviparous. Clutch size is 4-6 eggs. Each oval egg measures about 9mm by 11mm. Each hatchling has a total length (including tail) of about 7.2cm (02.8inches).^[2]

Further reading

• Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1839). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome cinquième [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (Eremias burchelli, new species, pp. 303–304). (in French).
• Kirchhof S, Penner J, Rödel M-O, Müller J (2017). "Resolution of the types, diagnostic features, and distribution of two easily confused Sand Lizards, Pedioplanis laticeps (Smith, 1845) and P. burchelli (Duméril & Bibron, 1839) (Squamata: Lacertidae)". Zootaxa 4318 (1): 082–109.
• Nkosi WT, Heideman NJL, Van Wyk JH (2004). "Reproduction and Sexual Size Dimorphism in the Lacertid Lizard Pedioplanus burchelli (Sauria: Lacertidae) in SouthAfrica". Journal of Herpetology 38 (4): 473–480.
• Tolley KA, Makokha JS, Houniet DT, Swart BL, Matthee CA (2009). "The potential for predicted climate shifts to impact genetic landscapes of lizards in the South African Cape Floristic Region". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 51 (1): 120–130.

Notes and References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Pedioplanis burchelli, p. 43).
2. [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]