About Chamaesaura anguina Linnaeus, 1758
Taxonomy and Common Names
The Cape grass lizard (Chamaesaura anguina), also called the Cape snake lizard or highland grass lizard, is a species of lizard belonging to the genus Chamaesaura.
General Distribution and Habitat
It is widely distributed across southern Africa, where it inhabits grasslands.
Regional Conservation Status
In Eswatini, one of the countries where this species occurs, it is classified as Near Threatened.
Reproductive Mode
The Cape grass lizard is ovoviviparous.
Breeding Pattern
Research has found that female Cape grass lizards do not all breed at the same time within a single year.
Recognized Subspecies
Three subspecies of this lizard are recognized: C. a. anguina, C. a. oligopholis, and C. a. tenuior.
Full Country Range
The Cape grass lizard has a wide distribution across the grasslands of southern Africa, and has been recorded in South Africa, Eswatini, Angola, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.
Habitat Environmental Feature
Wildfires commonly occur in the grassland habitats that this species inhabits.
