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Zygaspis Vandami
Van Dam's dwarf worm lizard (''Zygaspis vandami''), also known commonly as the sand-dwelling dwarf worm lizard and Van Dam's round-headed worm lizard, is a species of Amphisbaenia, amphisbaenian in the Family (biology), family Amphisbaenidae. The species is native to southern Africa. There are two recognized subspecies. Etymology The Specific name (zoology), specific name, ''vandami'', is in honor of South African Herpetologist Gerhardus Petrus Frederick Van Dam (died 1927). Geographic range ''Z. vandami'' is found in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Habitat The preferred natural habitats of ''Z. vandami'' are sand, sandy-soils, and humus-rich soils. Description One of the smaller species in its genus, ''Z. vandami'' usually has a Snout-vent length, snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . The maximum recorded SVL is . It is uniformly dark purplish brown Dorsum (anatomy), dorsally, and light purple ventrally. The chin and the anal area are white.William Roy Branch, Branch, Bill ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons
Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons, born in Pietermaritzburg, was a notable herpetologist in South Africa. Also, he contributed to the collection of spermatophyte samples for the National Herbarium which has become part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. In 1937, together with Anna Amelia Obermeyer, he collected some of the earliest plant specimens from the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Later, as director of the Transvaal Museum, he together with Charles Koch helped to establish the Namib Desert Research Institute in Gobabeb Family Vivian FitzSimons came from a family of naturalists. His father, Frederick William FitzSimons, and his mother Patricia Henrietta (née Russell), both immigrated to South Africa from Ireland. His brother was Desmond Charles Fitzsimons, who in 1939 founded the Fitzsimons Snake Park (Durban) and was a leading distributor of snake antivenoms in South Africa. Vivian FitzSimons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |