The ''Chamaesaura'', also known as grass lizards, are a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of legless

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s from southern and eastern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The limbs are reduced to small spikes. Chamaesaura propel themselves like snakes, pushing against contact points in the environment, such as rocks, plants and irregularities in the soil.Cogger, H 1993 Fauna of Australia. Vol. 2A Amphibia and Reptilia. Australian Biological Resources Studies, Canberra. They are

viviparous In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juve ...

and eat small invertebrates, especially

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...

Species

*'' Chamaesaura aenea'' – coppery grass lizard, Transvaal snake lizard *'' Chamaesaura anguina'' – Cape grass lizard, Cape snake lizard *'' Chamaesaura macrolepis'' – large-scale grass lizard, large-scale snake lizard *'' Chamaesaura miopropus'' – Zambian snake lizard, Zambian grass lizard *'' Chamaesaura tenuior'' – Cape snake lizard

References

*Branch, B., 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing, Sanibel Island, Florida, 399 p. * Spawls, S., Howell, K, Drewes, R, and Ashe, J, 2002. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa: Academic Press, San Diego, 543 p. Lizard genera Taxa named by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider {{lizard-stub