Ruben's Sand Lizard
Pedioplanis rubens
Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyLacertidae (Wall Lizards)
- GenusPedioplanis
- SpeciesPedioplanis rubens (Ruben's Sand Lizard)
About the Ruben's Sand Lizard
Pedioplanis rubens, called commonly the Waterberg sand lizard, reddish sand lizard, and (misleadingly) Ruben's sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Namibia. The specific name, rubens, which means "tinged with red" in Latin, is not in honor of any person named Ruben, but rather refers to the brick red color of the tail.
P. rubens is found atop the northern portion of the Waterberg Plateau in Namibia. The natural habitat of P. rubens is mopane savanna with red sandstone. P. rubens may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5 cm (2.0 in). The tail is long, slightly more than twice SVL. Dorsally, the head and body are brown, and the tail is bright brick red. Ventrally, it is lighter-colored.
P. rubens is oviparous. Makokha JS, Bauer AM, Mayer W, Matthee CA (2007). "Nuclear and mtDNA-based phylogeny of southern African sand lizards, Pedioplanis (Sauria: Lacertidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44 (2): 622–633. (Pedioplanis rubens, new status).
Mayer W (1989). "Comments on SZCZERBAK's (1975) catalogue... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Ruben's Sand Lizard in Waterberg Plateau Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Waterberg Plateau Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ruben's Sand Lizard in Waterberg Plateau Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Ruben's Sand Lizard sighting in Waterberg Plateau Park, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ruben's Sand Lizard in Waterberg Plateau Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Ruben's Sand Lizard in Waterberg Plateau Park in our monthly data.