Sekukhune flat lizard
| Sekukhune flat lizard | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Subphylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Infraorder: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | P. orientalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platysaurus orientalis V. FitzSimons, 1941[1]
| |
| Synonyms | |
The Sekukhune flat lizard (Platysaurus orientalis) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. It has two subspecies.[2]
Description
Females and juveniles have a black back with white stripes, as well as a white belly. Adult male Sekukhune flat lizards have a green body, and a tail which is orange or red above, and yellow underneath.[3]
Geographic range and habitat
The Sekukhune flat lizard lives in a small area of savannah in South Africa in the Sekhukhuneland natural region. This includes the Mpumalanga Escarpment.[3]
Reproduction
Female Sekukhune flat lizards lay two eggs in a rock crack in early summer.[3]
Diet
The diet of the Sekukhune flat lizard includes insects, including caterpillars.[3]
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized.[2]
- P. o. orientalis V. FitzSimons, 1941 – Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga in South Africa.
- P. o. fitzsimonsi Loveridge, 1944 – eastern Sekhukhuneland.
The subspecific name, fitzsimonsi, is in honor of South African herpetologist (Mr.) Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Platysaurus orientalis ". Zipcode Zoo. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
- ^ a b c "Platysaurus orientalis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ a b c d 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. (Platysaurus orientalis, pp. 199-200 + Plate 74).
- ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Platysaurus orientalis fitzsimonsi, p. 91).
Further reading
- FitzSimons V. 1941. Descriptions of some New Lizards from South Africa and a Frog from Southern Rhodesia. Ann. Transvaal Mus. 20 (3): 273-281. (Platysaurus minor orientalis, new subspecies, p. 280).
- Jacobsen NHG, Newbery RE. 1989. The Genus Platysaurus A. Smith 1844 in the Transvaal. African J. Herp. 36: 51-63. (Platysaurus orientalis, new combination; Platysaurus orientalis fitzsimonsi, new combination).
- Loveridge A. 1944. Revision of the African Lizards of the Family Cordylidae. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 95 (1): 1-118 + Plates 1-12. (Platysaurus guttatus fitzsimonsi, new subspecies, pp. 88–89).