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The Transvaal grass lizard, also known as the coppery grass lizard and Transvaal snake lizard (''Chamaesaura aenea'') is a species of lizard in the
Early German Herpetological Observations and Explorations of Southern Africa, with special reference to the Zoological Museum of Berlin
, ''Bonn Zoological Bulletin'', Volume 52, No. 3/4, November 30, 2004, p 205.
The Transvaal grass lizard inhabits
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
Chamaesaura
The ''Chamaesaura'', also known as grass lizards, are a genus of legless lizards from southern and eastern Africa. The limbs are reduced to small spikes. Chamaesaura propel themselves like snakes, pushing against contact points in the environmen ...
. It is found in southern African grasslands and on slopes. The Transvaal grass lizard is ovoviviparous. The scientific name refers to its copper colour.
It was first described in 1843 by Fitzinger (who named it Cricochalcis aenea), based on specimens at the Natural History Museum in Berlin that were collected in South Africa by Ludwig Krebs.Aaron M. Bauer,Early German Herpetological Observations and Explorations of Southern Africa, with special reference to the Zoological Museum of Berlin
, ''Bonn Zoological Bulletin'', Volume 52, No. 3/4, November 30, 2004, p 205.
Distribution
The Transvaal grass lizard inhabits South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
, and Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
. It can be found in grasslands and on slopes and ridges.
Habits and breeding
This lizard isovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...
, meaning mothers carry eggs inside their bodies until they are ready to hatch.
Conservation
Neither the Southern African Red Data nor the International Red Data list the Transvaal grass lizard. However, the Swaziland Red Data puts the lizard at Near Threatened levels.Name
The scientific name of this lizard, ''Chamaesaura aenea'', is due to the lizard's copper color. ''Aenea'' is aLatin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word meaning "bronze" or "copper."
See also
*Chamaesaura
The ''Chamaesaura'', also known as grass lizards, are a genus of legless lizards from southern and eastern Africa. The limbs are reduced to small spikes. Chamaesaura propel themselves like snakes, pushing against contact points in the environmen ...
References
Chamaesaura Reptiles of Lesotho Reptiles of Eswatini Reptiles described in 1843 Taxa named by Leopold Fitzinger Lizards of Africa Reptiles of South Africa {{lizard-stub