The Kalahari tree skink (''Trachylepis spilogaster''), or spiny mabuya, is a species of lizard in the

skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. S ...

family (Scincidae). The species is endemic to southern Africa, including Namibia, South Africa, western Botswana, and southern Angola.

Habitat

Kalahari tree skinks have been found to live around trees that contain the large colonial nests of the

sociable weaver The sociable weaver (''Philetairus socius'') is a species of bird in the weaver family that is endemic to southern Africa. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Philetairus''. It is found in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. but th ...

. Their numbers are higher in these areas despite a known predator of skinks, the

pygmy falcon The pygmy falcon (''Polihierax semitorquatus'') or African pygmy falcon is a bird species native to eastern and southern Africa. It is the smallest bird of prey on the continent. Description Adult pygmy falcons are white below and on the face, ...

, also nesting in these trees. It is theorized that the increased opportunity for places of refuge outweigh the risk of predation. Skinks found on colony trees have learned to eavesdrop on sociable weavers to warn of approaching pygmy falcons.

References

spilogaster Skinks of Africa Reptiles of Angola Reptiles of Botswana Reptiles of Namibia Reptiles of South Africa Reptiles described in 1882 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters {{Lygosominae-stub