Nucras tessellata

Description

Nucras tessellata (Smith, 1838), or the Western or Striped Sandveld Lizard, is native to the west coast of Southern Africa. It is 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 an extremely long tail. They are secretive and not often seen. Nucras tessellata is a slender, whip-tailed lizard about 25 cm long. The tail accounts for about two-thirds of its length and is used as a rudder during its lightning-fast 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 display striping down the entire length of the body. The lizard is most active during morning and evening, when it hunts for its preferred prey, scorpions. Its diet is supplemented by spiders, grasshoppers, termites and beetles, often excavated from their daytime retreats.