''Pedioplanis husabensis'', also known
commonly as the Husab 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
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 ...
.
Geographic range
''P. husabensis'' is found in the central portion of the
Namib desert in Namibia.
Reproduction
''P. husabensis'' 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
* Berger-Dell'Mour HAE, Mayer W (1989). "On the parapatric existence of two species of the ''Pedioplanis undata'' group (Reptilia: Sauria: Lacertidae) in the central Namib desert (Southwest Africa) with the description of the new species ''Pedioplanis husabensis'' ". ''Herpetozoa'' 1 (3/4): 83–95. (in English, with an abstract in German).
* 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 husabensis'', p. 174 + Plate 58).
* Cunningham P, Wassenaar T, Henschel J (2012). "Notes on some aspects of the ecology of the Husab Sand Lizard, ''Pedioplanis husabensis'', from Namibia". ''African Herp News, Newsletter of the Herpetological Association of Africa'' (56): 1–11.
Pedioplanis
Reptiles described in 1989
Endemic fauna of Namibia
Taxa named by Hartwig A.E. Berger-Dell'mour
Taxa named by Werner Mayer (herpetologist)
{{Lacertidae-stub