Trachylepis acutilabris (Peters, 1862)

Ceríaco, L. M. P., De Sá, S., Bandeira, S., Valério, H., Stanley, E. L., Kuhn, A. L., Marques, M. P., Vindum, J. V., Blackburn, D. C. & Bauer, A. M., 2016, Herpetological Survey of Iona National Park and Namibe Regional Natural Park, with a Synoptic List of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Namibe Province, Southwestern Angola, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (2), pp. 15-61 : 34

WEDGED-SNOUTED SKINK – Fig. 14

Trachylepis acutilabris (Peters, 1862)

MATERIAL.— INP, 3.4 km south-west (by air) of Espinheira , vicinities of “Lion Cave”, 30 November 2013, 16º48ʹ54.4ʺS, 12º20ʹ13.7ʺE, 450 m ( CAS 254751 ) ; INP, car wreck 20 km south-south-west (by air) of Espinheira , 30 November 2013, 16º55ʹ53.81ʺS, 12º14ʹ45.42ʺE, 616 m ( CAS 254789 ) ; Namibe-Lubango road, road marker 59, 1.8 km (by road) of Caraculo, north side of the road, 6 December 2013, 15º0ʹ59.3ʺS, 12º38ʹ33.6ʺE, 488 m ( CAS 254899 ) , 15º0ʹ58.8ʺS, 12º38ʹ33.8ʺE, 491 m ( CAS 254907 ) ; Pico Azevedo , 7 December 2013, 15º32ʹ2.4ʺS, 12º29ʹ31.1ʺE, 359 m ( CAS 254927–254931 ) .

COMMENTS.— This species is similar to lacertid lizards in morphology and diet (Castanzo and Bauer 1992). Its elongate toes and countersunk lower jaw are consistent with its burrowing habits. It typically occupies burrows at the base of vegetation in sandy soils from Namibia through western Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cabinda ( Branch 1998).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Adult Wedged-Snouted Skink, Trachylepis acutilabris (Peters, 1862), from Kamanjab, Kunene Region, Namibia. Photo courtesy of Johan Marais.