Ellen's Whip Lizard

About the Ellen's Whip Lizard

Tetradactylus ellenbergeri, commonly known as Ellen's whip lizard and Ellenberger's long-tailed seps, is a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae. The species is indigenous to Africa. The specific name, ellenbergeri, is in honor of Victor Ellenberger (1879–1972), who was an African-born Swiss missionary and naturalist.

T. ellenbergeri is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. The preferred natural habitats of T. ellenbergeri are savanna and grassland. T. ellenbergeri is a snake-like lizard. Its front legs are absent, and its back legs are reduced to minute spikes about 2 mm long. The tail is extremely long, more than three times the snout-to-vent length (SVL).

T. ellenbergeri is terrestrial and diurnal. T. ellenbergeri preys upon insects and other invertebrates. T. ellenbergeri is oviparous. Angel F (1922). "Sur un Lézard d'un genre nouveau de la famille des Gerrhosauridæ". Bulletin du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle 28: 150–152. (Paratetradactylus ellenbergeri, new species). (in French).

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