Monopeltis anchietae (Bocage, 1873)

Pietersen, Darren W., Pietersen, Errol W. & Conradie, Werner, 2017, Preliminary herpetological survey of Ngonye Falls and surrounding regions in south-western Zambia, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 148) 11 (1), pp. 24-43 : 30

Monopeltis anchietae (Bocage, 1873)

Anchieta’s Worm Lizard

Material: TM 86250

One individual ( Fig. 3a,b ) was found beneath an elephant carcass at Idjobwa Pan in the buffer zone to the north of Sioma Ngwezi National Park, while a juvenile ( TM 86250) was unearthed during construction at Park Headquarters. Members of the genus Monopeltis generally inhabit deep Kalahari sands, only coming to the surface after their burrows have been flooded by heavy rains ( Branch 1998, DWP pers. obs.). These are the first records of this species in Zambia. Previously known from northern Botswana, northern Namibia and southern Angola ( Broadley 1971a; Broadley et al. 1976; Uetz et al. 2017).

Figures

Fig. 3. Selection of reptiles photographed in the vicinity of Sioma Ngwezi National Park and Ngonye Falls in south-western Zambia. (A) Anchieta’s Worm Lizard (Monopeltis anchietae), Idjobwa Pan, northern buffer zone of Sioma Ngwezi National Park and (B) close-up of the head, showing the double head shields. (C) Wahlberg’s Kalahari Gecko (Pachydactylus wahlbergii wahlbergii), Ngonye Falls campsite. (D) Schmitz’s Blind Legless Skink (Acontias schmitzi, PEM R22015), east bank of the Zambezi River opposite Ngonye Falls.