Breyer's long-tailed seps explained
Tetradactylus breyeri, commonly known as Breyer's long-tailed seps or Breyer's whip lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae.The species is endemic to South Africa.
Etymology
The specific name, breyeri, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Hermann Gottfried Breyer.[1]
Geographic range
T. breyeri is found in the South African provinces of Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga.
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of T. breyeri is grassland, at altitudes of 1400–.
Description
T. breyeri is snake-like, with short vestigial legs. There are two toes on each front foot, and one toe on each back foot. Maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) is 7.2cm (02.8inches). The tail is very long, more than three times SVL.[2]
Reproduction
T. breyeri is oviparous.[3] Clutch size is small, only one or two eggs laid in early summer.[2]
Further reading
- Bates MF (1996). "Taxonomic status and distribution of the South African lizard Tetradactylus breyeri Roux (Gerrhosauridae)". South African Journal of Zoology 31 (4): 214–218.
- Berger-Dell'Mour HAE (1983). "Der Übergang von Echse zu Schleiche in der Gattung Tetradactylus, Merrem ". Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Anatomie und Ontogenie der Tiere. 110: 1–152. (in German).
- FitzSimons VF (1943). The Lizards of South Africa. Transvaal Museum Memoirs No. 1. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum. xvi + 528 pp. (Teteradactylus breyeri, p. 294).
- Roux J (1907). "Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Fauna von Süd-Afrika. Ergebnisse einer Reise von Prof. Max Weber im Jahre 1894. VII. Lacertilia (Eidechsen) ". Zoologische Jarhrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere. 25: 403–444. (Tetradactylus breyeri, new species, pp. 430–431 + Plate 14, figure 6). (in German).
Notes and References
- [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
- [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]
- www.reptile-database.org.
