Lizards > Plated Lizards > Common Long-tailed Seps

Plated lizards (Gerrhosauridae; pantserakkedisse)

Common Long-tailed Seps / Gewone Langstert-seps

Tetradactylus tetradactylus

Size Adult snout-vent length ranges from 60-70 mm.

Description The body is thin and elongated, the limbs much reduced, and the tail about three times body length, giving the lizard a snake-like appearance. Both fore- and hind limbs have four minute toes. Each hind leg has 4-5 femoral pores ventrally. The dorsal body scales are keeled and arranged in 14 longitudinal series. There are six longitudinal rows of ventral scales. The back is grey to olive in colour, with a pair of dark brown dorsolateral stripes on each side, a thin one above and a thicker one below. The belly is grey to olive in colour. Like in other plated lizards, the body has a prominent lateral fold on each side.

Biology It is suspected that this species, like other members of its family, is an active forager, in other words, that it actively searches for food. It probably has a well-developed prey chemical discrimination ability and its diet probably include many small nocturnal invertebrate prey which it can ‘sniff' out during day time. Its elongate body and reduced limbs indicate that it frequents grass and restio habitats and that it can be classified as arboreal. Although little is known about its reproduction, we know that it is oviparous and that two to four eggs are laid in summer. Arboreal, grass-living lizards are generally heavily impacted on by veld fires. The common long-tailed seps is probably too small to be able to effectively flee from fire. I have recorded captive individuals to burrow into loose sand, perhaps an indication that at least some individuals will be able to escape from fire by burrowing into sand or underneath rocks, or entering rodent burrows. It is still expected that direct mortality during fire will be high. This slender lizard is very agile and extremely difficult to catch.

Distribution The common long-tailed seps occurs in montane grassland and fynbos from Clanwilliam in the west, southwards and eastwards as far as the southeastern Free State. Relict populations occur in the Roggeveld and Nuweveld Mountains.

Distribution in the GCBC Potentially occurs throughout the GCBC south of Clanwilliam, but probably absent from the arid eastern parts of the Corridor.

Conservation status Not listed.

Threats Although there are no data available at present, it is suspected that this species is heavily impacted on by fire.

Current studies Prof. le Fras Mouton of the Department of Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, is studying the general biology of this species, including aspects of its reproduction, foraging behaviour and fire ecology.