The Sekukhune flat lizard (Platysaurus orientalis) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. It has two subspecies.
Description
Females and juveniles of P. orientalis have a black back with white stripes, as well as a white belly. Adult males have a green body, and a tail which is orange or red above, and yellow underneath. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of ; the longest recorded SVL is .
Geographic range and habitat
The Sekukhune flat lizard lives in a small area of savannah in South Africa in the Sekhukhuneland natural region. This includes the Mpumalanga Escarpment.
Reproduction
Female Sekukhune flat lizards lay two eggs in a rock crack in early summer.
Diet
The diet of the Sekukhune flat lizard includes insects, including caterpillars.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized.
The subspecific name, fitzsimonsi, is in honor of South African herpetologist (Mr.) Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons.
See also
References
Further reading
- FitzSimons V (1941). "Descriptions of some New Lizards from South Africa and a Frog from Southern Rhodesia". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 20 (3): 273-281. (Platysaurus minor orientalis, new subspecies, p. 280).
- , (1989). "The Genus Platysaurus A. Smith 1844 in the Transvaal". African Journal of Herpetology 36: 51-63. (Platysaurus orientalis, new combination; Platysaurus orientalis fitzsimonsi, new combination).
- Loveridge A (1944). "Revision of the African Lizards of the Family Cordylidae". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 95 (1): 1-118 + Plates 1-12. (Platysaurus guttatus fitzsimonsi, new subspecies, pp. 88âÂÂ89).
- , , , Branch WR, (2011). "Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58 (1): 53âÂÂ70.
External links