Oelofsen´s girdled lizard
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Endemic, SVL 55 - 65 mm, max SVL 69 mm
A small lizard with a flattened body and triangular, flattened head with rough head shields. The nasals are usually in contact, separating the rostral and the frontonasal, which is in contact with the loreals. The subocular usually reaches the lip, and the prefrontals are usually in contact. The anterior parietals are smaller than the posterior ones. There are 4 - 8 (usually 5 - 6) small, irregular occipitals, that are sometimes spiny. The dorsal scales, which are large and faintly keeled (with the keels arranged in pararell rows), are in 22 - 26 transverse and 18 - 22 longitudinal rows. The ventrals are smooth and in 10 longitudinal rows. There is a pair of enlarged preanal plates. There are 6 - 9 femoral pores on each thigh. Females lack glandular scales in front of femoral pores. The tail has whorls of elongate, large spines. The head, body, limbs and tail are black above with a faint, pale broken line along the backbone. There are two faint, light brown lines on the side of the neck. The belly and limbs are dark grey below. Biology and breeding : Solitary sheltering in shallow cracks in rock outcrops on mountain summits.Two to three young are born in late summer to early autumm. Habitat : Rock outcrops in mountain fynbos. Range : Western Cape fold mountains around Piketberg and Tulbagh, with an isolated population at Landroskop.