Trachylepis hoeschi explained

Trachylepis hoeschi, also known commonly as Hoesch's mabuya and Hoesch's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Mabuyinae of the family Scincidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, hoeschi, is in honor of German zoologist Walter Hoesch (1896–1961), who collected the holotype.^[1]

Geographic range

T. hoeschi is found in Angola and Namibia.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of T. hoeschi is arid savanna, where it is found on boulders and rock outcrops,^[2] at altitudes of .

Description

Adults of T. hoeschi usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5–. The maximum recorded SVL is 10cm (00inches). The tail is long, about two times SVL.^[2]

Dorsally, T. hoeschi is grayish brown, with transverse bands of dark brown spots. Ventrally, it is white, except for the throat which is yellowish.^[2]

Diet

T. hoeschi preys upon insects such as beetles, moths, and wasps.^[2]

Reproduction

The mode of reproduction of T. hoeschi is unknown.

Further reading

• Bauer AM (2003). "On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Fitzinger 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro-Malagasy skinks". African Journal of Herpetology 52: 1–7. (Trachylepis hoeschi, new combination).
• Lobón-Rovira, Javier

Vaz Pinto, Pedro; Becker, François S.; Tolley, Krystal A.; Measy, John; Bennet, Bruce; de Sá, Sango; Conradie, W. (2022). "An updated herpetofaunal species inventory of Iona National Park in southwestern Angola". Check List 18 (2): 289–321.

• Mertens R (1954). "Neue Eidechsen aus Südwest-Afrika". Senckenbergiana 34: 175–183. (Mabuya hoeschi, new species, p. 178). (in German).

Notes and References

1. [species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]
2. [William Roy Branch|Branch, Bill]