''Ichnotropis microlepidota'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the family (biology), family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group o ...

. It is commonly called Marx's rough-scaled lizard and is largely found in

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

, Africa. ''I. microlepidota'' is a terrestrial lizard and was first discovered at the foot of

Mount Moco Mount Moco (Portuguese: ), at , is the highest mountain in Angola. It is located in Huambo Province in the western part of the country, west of the city of Huambo.''Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition'', p. 754. Mount Moco was ...

Description

''I. microlepidota'' is a medium-sized lizard with a slender body, long tail, and well developed legs. Most of the specimens found are less than long in snout–to-vent lengt
(SVL)
and share common characteristics of the genus ''

Ichnotropis ''Ichnotropis'' is a genus of African lizards in the family Lacertidae. Species in the genus ''Ichnotropis'' are commonly called rough-scaled lizards."''Ichnotropis'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Species The following six s ...

''. Branch, Bill (1998). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik Publishers. . (Genus ''Ichnotropis'', pp. 160–162). Identification of ''Ichnotropis'' includes the following: *Cylindrical tail without lateral fringe *Toes without serrated or fringed edge *Smooth or tubular lamellae under toes *

Subocular In scaled reptiles, the ocular scales are those forming the margin of the eye.Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publishing Associates (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. . The name originates from the term ''oculus'' which ...

scales bordering lip *No collar present * Keeled or overlapping dorsal scales *Head shields smooth or slightly rough ''I. microlepidota'' is similar to '' Ichnotropis bivittata'' except ''I. microlepidota'' has a wider body.

Biology

''I. microlepidota'' is

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

and feeds on termites and other small insects. It is an active hunter during the day.

Taxonomy and evolution

Based on morphological evidence, the South African genus ''Ichnotropis'' and the North American genus ''

Psammodromus ''Psammodromus'' is a small genus of sand lizards of the family ''Lacertidae''. It has six described species, which are found in European and North African countries next to the Mediterranean. Species The following species are recognized as bei ...

'' diverged from the lineage of '' Lacerta lepida'' and ''Lacerta monticola'' during the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

epoch (24 to 36 million years ago).Busack, Stephen; Maxson, Linda (1986). "Molecular relationships among Iberian, Moroccan, and South African lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae)". ''Amphibia-Reptilia'' 8: 383-392.

Predators

''I. microlepidota'' has been recorded as prey of '' Melierax metabates'', the chanting goshawk, a bird of prey indigenous to Africa Marx H (1956). "A new lacertid lizard from Angola". ''Fieldiana: Zoology'' 39: 5-9. (''Ichnotropis microlepidota'', new species).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q11873581 Endemic fauna of Angola Ichnotropis Reptiles of South Africa Reptiles of Angola Reptiles described in 1956 Taxa named by Hymen Marx