Pedioplanis rubens explained
Pedioplanis rubens, called commonly the Waterberg sand lizard, reddish sand lizard, and (misleadingly) Ruben's sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.
Etymology
The specific name, rubens, which means "tinged with red" in Latin, is not in honor of any person named Ruben,[1] but rather refers to the brick red color of the tail.
Geographic range
P. rubens is found atop the northern portion of the Waterberg Plateau in Namibia.
Habitat
The natural habitat of P. rubens is mopane savanna with red sandstone.
Description
P. rubens may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5cm (02inches). The tail is long, slightly more than twice SVL. Dorsally, the head and body are brown, and the tail is bright brick red. Ventrally, it is lighter-colored.[2]
Reproduction
P. rubens is oviparous.
Further reading
- Makokha JS, Bauer AM, Mayer W, Matthee CA (2007). "Nuclear and mtDNA-based phylogeny of southern African sand lizards, Pedioplanis (Sauria: Lacertidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44 (2): 622–633. (Pedioplanis rubens, new status).
- Mayer W (1989). "Comments on SZCZERBAK's (1975) catalogue of the African Sand Lizards (Reptilia: Sauria: Eremiainae)". Herpetozoa 1 (3/4): 133–137. (Pedioplanis undata rubens, new combination, p. 135).
- Mertens R (1954). "Neue Eidechsen aus Südwest-Afrika". Senckenbergiana 34: 175–183. (Eremias undata rubens, new subspecies, p. 177). (in German).
- Szczerbak, "Nikolai N. [sic]" (1989). "Catalogue of the African Sand Lizards (Reptilia: Sauria: Eremiainae: Lampreremias, Pseuderemias, Taenieremias, Mesalina, Meroles)". Herpetozoa 1 (3/4): 119–132. (Mesalina undata rubens, new combination, p. 125). (This paper was originally published in 1975 in Russian as "[''Katalog afrikanskih Jascurok'']". by the [Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Museum of Zoology, Kiev, USSR]).
Notes and References
- Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. (Pedioplanis rubens, p. 228).
- [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]
