Lizards > Plated Lizards > Short-legged Seps

Plated lizards (Gerrhosauridae; pantserakkedisse)

Short-legged Seps / Kortbeen-seps

Tetradactylus seps

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

Description The body is relatively thin and elongated, the tail is about two times body length and the limbs much reduced, although fully formed. Like in other plated lizards, the body has a prominent lateral fold on each side. The nostril is pierced between two nasals and the first upper labial and the subocular reaches the lip. The dorsal scales are striated, but not keeled, and arranged in 13 longitudinal rows. There are eight longitudinal rows of ventral scales. Eight to ten femoral pores are present on each side.

Biology Like other members of its family, this species is an active forager. It probably has a well-developed prey chemical discrimination ability and its diet probably includes many small nocturnal invertebrate prey which it locate by searching during day time. Its cylindrical body, long tail, and reduced limbs indicate that it frequents thick vegetation. The long tail is used in so-called grass-swimming, a form of lateral undulatory movement, to escape predators. Because it frequents dense vegetation, it is seldom seen, but is probably fairly common within its range. Although little is known about its reproduction, it is known that it is oviparous and that two to four eggs are laid among rotting logs or in leaf litter in summer.

Distribution The Short-legged 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 No threats have been identified.

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