Nucras tessellata
Encyclopedia
Nucras tessellata or the Western or Striped Sandveld Lizard, occurs along the west coast of Southern Africa
, being found in the Western Cape
, Tankwa Karoo National Park
, Richtersveld
, Botswana
, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Namibia
. Although preferring arid, sandy areas they also stray into fynbos
and mountain grassland. Members of the genus Nucras have a cylindrical body and extremely long tail. They are secretive and not often seen.
This is a slender, whip-tailed lizard about 25 cm long, the tail accounting for about two-thirds its length and used as a rudder during its lightning dashes. In breeding colours it is strongly striped in black and white over its forequarters, becoming bright orange-brown over its hindquarters and tail - its non-breeding colours show striping down the entire length of the body. Its preferred prey, during active morning and evening forays, is scorpions supplemented by spiders, grasshoppers, termites and beetles, often excavated from their daytime retreats.
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
, being found in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, Tankwa Karoo National Park
Tankwa Karoo National Park
Tankwa Karoo National Park is a Scientific National Park in South Africa. The park lies about 70 km due west of Sutherland near the border of the Northern Cape and Western Cape, in one of the most arid regions of South Africa, receiving 50 to 70 mm of precipitation in an average year. The mean...
, Richtersveld
Richtersveld
The Richtersveld is a mountainous desert landscape characterised by rugged kloofs and high mountains, situated in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. It is full of changing scenery from flat sandy plains, to craggy sharp mountains of volcanic rock and the lushness of the Orange River, which...
, Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. Although preferring arid, sandy areas they also stray into fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
and mountain grassland. Members of the genus Nucras have a cylindrical body and extremely long tail. They are secretive and not often seen.
This is a slender, whip-tailed lizard about 25 cm long, the tail accounting for about two-thirds its length and used as a rudder during its lightning dashes. In breeding colours it is strongly striped in black and white over its forequarters, becoming bright orange-brown over its hindquarters and tail - its non-breeding colours show striping down the entire length of the body. Its preferred prey, during active morning and evening forays, is scorpions supplemented by spiders, grasshoppers, termites and beetles, often excavated from their daytime retreats.