Plain Sand Lizard

Plain Sand Lizard

Pedioplanis undata

Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Namib-Naukluft National Park
22 Verified sightings at Namib-Naukluft National Park From 2019 to 2026
24 Verified sightings across all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Plain Sand Lizard

Pedioplanis undata, known commonly as the plain sand lizard or the western sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa. P. undata is found in southern Namibia and in South Africa (northwestern Cape Province).

P. undata is a small and slender species, closely resembling P. namaquensis. However, the lower eyelid of P. undata has a "window" formed by 2–4 semitransparent large scales. Adults of P. undata have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in), and the tail is very long, nearly three times SVL.

P. undata preys upon small insects. P. undata is oviparous. Each hatchling has a total length (including tail) of 5.5–7.5 cm (2.2–3.0 in). Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I–XL. (Eremias undata, p. 92).

Conradie W, Measey GJ, Branch WR, Tolley KA (2012). "Revised phylogeny of African sand lizards (Pedioplanis... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
2 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Plain Sand Lizard in Namib-Naukluft National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plain Sand Lizard sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Plain Sand Lizard in Namib-Naukluft National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Plain Sand Lizard in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.

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