Nucras tessellata

Nucras tessellata, the western or striped sandveld lizard, tiger lizard, or striped or banded sand lizard, is native to the west coast of Southern Africa. It is found in the Western Cape, Tankwa Karoo National Park, Richtersveld, Botswana, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Namibia.[1] Although preferring arid, sandy areas they also stray into fynbos and mountain grassland. Members of the genus Nucras have a cylindrical body[2] and an extremely long tail. They are secretive and not often seen.

Nucras tessellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Nucras
Species:
N. tessellata
Binomial name
Nucras tessellata
(Smith, 1838)

Nucras tessellata is a slender, whip-tailed lizard about 25 cm long. The tail accounts for about two-thirds of its length and is used as a rudder during its lightning-fast dashes. In breeding colours, it is strongly striped in black and white over its forequarters, becoming bright orange-brown over its hindquarters and tail. Its non-breeding colours display striping down the entire length of the body. The lizard is most active during morning and evening, when it hunts for its preferred prey, scorpions. Its diet is supplemented by spiders, grasshoppers, termites and beetles, often excavated from their daytime retreats.[3]

Bibliography
  • A review of the Nucras tessellata group (Sauria: Lacertidae) (Arnoldia) by Donald G Broadley (1972)
  • Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa by Bill Branch (1998)

References
  1. http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Nucras&species=tessellata
  2. http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/reptiles/squamata/lacertidae/nucras_tessellata.htm
  3. The Reptiles and Amphibians of Southern Africa by Walter Rose (Maskew Miller 1962)


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.