Pedioplanis lineoocellata explained
Pedioplanis lineoocellata, known commonly as the common sand lizard, the ocellated sand lizard, and the spotted sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.
Geographic range
P. lineoocellata is found in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.
Description
Adults of P. lineoocellata have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5-. The "window" in the lower eyelid is composed of two transparent scales, which are edged with black.[1]
Reproduction
P. lineoocellata is oviparous. The adult female lays a clutch of 4–8 eggs. Each egg measures on average 12.5mm by 9.5mm. Each hatchling has a total length (including tail) of about 5.25cm (02.07inches).[1]
Subspecies
Three subspecies of P. lineoocellata are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
- Pedioplanis lineoocellata inocellata
- Pedioplanis lineoocellata lineoocellata
- Pedioplanis lineoocellata pulchella
Nota bene
A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Pedioplanis.
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 lineo-ocellata, new species, pp. 314–316). (in French).
- Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Eremias pulchella, new species, p. 42).
- Kirchhof S, Hipsley CA, Corl A, Dell'Mour H, Müller J (2014). "Pedioplanis lineoocellata lineoocellata (Duméril & Bibron 1839) Spotted Sand Lizard". African Herp News (61): 28–30.
- Mertens R (1955). "Die Amphibien und Reptilien Südwestafrikas. Aus den Ergebnissen einer im Jahre 1952 ausgeführten Reise". Abhandlung der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, Frankfurt (490): 1–172. (Eremias lineoocellata inocellata, new subspecies). (in German).
- Tolley KA, Daniels RJ, Feldheim KA (2014). "Characterisation of microsatellite markers in the Spotted Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis lineoocellata) shows low levels of inbreeding and moderate genetic diversity on a small spatial scale". African Journal of Herpetology 63 (2): 87–97.
Notes and References
- [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]
