Pedioplanis gaerdesi, known commonly as the Kaokoland sand lizard, the Kaokoveld sand lizard, and Mayer's sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.
| Pedioplanis gaerdesi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Pedioplanis |
| Species: | P. gaerdesi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pedioplanis gaerdesi (Mertens, 1954)
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Etymology edit
The specific name, gaerdesi, is in honor of German zoologist Jan Gaerdes (1889–1981), who lived in Namibia for many years.[3]
Geographic range edit
P. gaerdesi is found in northwestern Namibia.[2]
Habitat edit
The preferred natural habitat of P. gaerdesi is gravelly or sandy desert or savanna, at altitudes of 200–1,400 m (660–4,590 ft).[1]
Description edit
Adults of P. gaerdesi have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in). The tail is very long, almost three times SVL. Dorsally, P. gaerdesi is golden brown. Ventrally, it is cream-colored. The flanks are spotted with yellow. The transparent "window" of the lower eyelid, which consist of one large scale, is ringed with black.[4]
Reproduction edit
References edit
- ^ a b Turner AA (2010). "Pedioplanis gaerdesi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T178213A7499023. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T178213A7499023.en. Downloaded on 16 May 2019.
- ^ a b c Pedioplanis gaerdesi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 16 May 2019.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Pedioplanis gaerdesi, p. 96).
- ^ 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 gaerdesi, p. 174 + Plate 103).
Further reading edit
- Bauer AM, Branch WR, Haacke WD (1993). "The herpetofauna of the Kamanjab area and adjacent Damaraland, Namibia". Madoqua, Windhoek 18 (2): 117–145. (Pedioplanis gaerdesi, new taxonomic status).
- Conradie W, Measey GJ, Branch WR, Tolley KA (2012). "Revised phylogeny of African sand lizards (Pedioplanis), with the description of two new species from south-western Angola". African Journal of Herpetology 61 (2): 91–112.
- Herrmann H-W, Branch WR (2013). "Fifty years of herpetological research in the Namib Desert and Namibia with an updated and annotated species checklist". Journal of Arid Environments 93: 94–115.
- Mertens R (1954). "Neue Eidechsen aus Südwest-Afrika". Senckenbergiana 34: 175–183. (Eremias undata gaerdesi, new subspecies, p. 176). (in German).
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