Transvaal Grass Lizard
Encyclopedia
The Transvaal Grass Lizard, also known as the Transvaal Snake Lizard, is a species of lizard in the genus
Chamaesaura
. It is found in southern African grasslands and on slopes. The Transvaal Grass Lizard is ovoviparous. The scientific name is Chamaesaura aenea, due to the copper color of the Transvaal Grass Lizard. This lizard is listed as Near Threatened by Swaziland, though it is not on the international red list.
, Lesotho
, and Swaziland
. It can be found in grasslands and on slopes and ridges.
list the Transvaal Grass Lizard. However, the Swaziland Red Data puts the lizard at Near Threatened levels.
word meaning "bronze" or "copper."
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Chamaesaura
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. The elongate shape and lack of limbs allows them to "swim" through grass...
. It is found in southern African grasslands and on slopes. The Transvaal Grass Lizard is ovoviparous. The scientific name is Chamaesaura aenea, due to the copper color of the Transvaal Grass Lizard. This lizard is listed as Near Threatened by Swaziland, though it is not on the international red list.
Distribution
The Transvaal Grass Lizard inhabits South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, and Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. It can be found in grasslands and on slopes and ridges.
Habits and breeding
This lizard is ovoviviparous, meaning mothers carry eggs inside their bodies until they are ready to hatch.Conservation
Neither the Southern African Red Data nor the International Red DataIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
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 a LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word meaning "bronze" or "copper."