''Pedioplanis inornata'', known
commonly as the plain sand lizard or the western sand lizard, 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 ...
of
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 ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
.
Geographic range
''P. inornata'' is found in
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Description
Adults of ''P. inornata'' have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of , with a tail slightly more than twice SVL. The "window" in the lower eyelid is composed of 2-4 large semitransparent scales.
Dorsally, ''P. inornata'' is uniformly grayish brown, and it has pale greenish spots on the flanks.
[ 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. . (''Pedioplanis inornata'', p. 174 + Plate 58).]
Reproduction
''P. inornata'' is
oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
.
[
]
References
Further reading
* 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.
* Makokha JS, Bauer AM, Mayer W, Matthee CA (2007). "Nuclear and mtDNA-based phylogeny of southern African sand lizards, ''Pedioplanis'' (Sauria: Lacertidae)". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 44 (2): 622–633.
* Roux J (1907). "''Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Fauna von Süd-Afrika. Ergebnisse einer Reise von Prof. Max Weber im Jahre 1894. VII. Lacertilia (Eidechsen)''". ''Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tier, Jena'' 25: 403–444. (''Eremias inornata'', new species, pp. 427-429 + Plate 15, figures 10–12). (in German).
Pedioplanis
Reptiles described in 1907
Taxa named by Jean Roux
{{Lacertidae-stub