Tetradactylus ellenbergeri

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.

Tetradactylus ellenbergeri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Gerrhosauridae
Genus: Tetradactylus
Species:
T. ellenbergeri
Binomial name
Tetradactylus ellenbergeri
(Angel, 1922)
Synonyms[2]
  • Paratetradactylus ellenbergeri
    Angel, 1922
  • Tetradactylus boulengeri
    de Witte, 1933
  • Tetradactylus lundensis
    Monard, 1937
  • Tedradactylus [sic] fitzsimonsi simplex
    Laurent, 1950
  • Tetradactylus ellenbergeri
    Broadley, 1971

Etymology

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The specific name, ellenbergeri, is in honor of Victor Ellenberger (1879–1972), who was an African-born Swiss missionary and naturalist.[3]

Geographic range

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T. ellenbergeri is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.[2]

Habitat

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The preferred natural habitats of T. ellenbergeri are savanna and grassland.[1]

Description

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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).[2]

Behavior

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T. ellenbergeri is terrestrial and diurnal.[1]

Diet

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T. ellenbergeri preys upon insects and other invertebrates.[1]

Reproduction

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T. ellenbergeri is oviparous.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Bates, M.F (2018). "Tetradactylus ellenbergeri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T44929247A44929340. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Species Tetradactylus ellenbergeri at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo, Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Tetradactylus ellenbergeri, p. 82).

Further reading

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  • 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).
  • Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Tetradactylus ellenbergeri, pp. 181–182).
  • Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1472935618. (Tetradactylus ellenbergeri, p. 218).