Pedioplanis breviceps

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Pedioplanis breviceps
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Pedioplanis
Species:
P. breviceps
Binomial name
Pedioplanis breviceps
(Sternfeld, 1911)
Synonyms[1]
  • Eremias breviceps
    Sternfeld, 1911
  • Mesalina breviceps
    — Szczerbak, 1989
  • Pedioplanis breviceps
    — , 1989

Pedioplanis breviceps, known commonly as the short-headed sand lizard, the short-headed sandveld lizard, and Sternfeld's sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.

Geographic range[]

P. breviceps is found in northwestern Namibia.[1]

Habitat[]

The preferred natural habitat of P. breviceps is desert.[2]

Description[]

P. breviceps is a small species for its genus. It has a short head, to which the specific name, breviceps, refers. Adults have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5–5.5 cm (1.8–2.2 in). The lower eyelid is scaly and opaque, without a "window". There is sexual dimorphism in coloration: adult females and juveniles have distinct dark dorsal stripes, but adult males are uniformly brown dorsally.[2]

Reproduction[]

P. breviceps is oviparous.[1] An adult female may lay a clutch of 2–4 eggs. Each egg measures 11 mm (0.43 in) by 6 mm (0.24 in). Each hatchling has a total length (including tail) of 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in).[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Pedioplanis breviceps at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 16 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised Edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Pedioplanis breviceps, pp. 170-171 + Plate 58).

Further reading[]

  • , , Branch WR, (2012). "Revised phylogeny of African sand lizards (Pedioplanis), with description of two new species from south-western Angola". African Journal of Herpetology 61 (2): 91–112.
  • , Bauer AM, , (2007). "Nuclear and mtDNA-based phylogeny of southern African sand lizards, Pedioplanis (Sauria: Lacertidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44 (2): 622–633.
  • Sternfeld R (1911). "Zur Herpetologie Südwestafrikas ". Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 5: 393–411. (Eremias breviceps, new species, p. 404, Figure 2). (in German).



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