Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated 2012.)
M.F. Bates
THE
TRANSVAAL
GRASS LIZARD
lizard forward in a rapid, snake-like fashion.
Apart from the fact that it is ground-living and
active by day, very little is known about the life
history of the Transvaal Grass Lizard. Like the
other two Chamaesaura species, both of which
are also restricted to southern Africa and have
greatly reduced limbs, it is likely to be largely
insectivorous and females probably give birth to
about 6-9 young in late summer (FitzSimons 1943;
Branch 1988). Enemies probably include snakes,
especially fast-moving sand or grass snakes of
the genera Psammophis and Psammophylax, as
well as birds of prey. Grass fires are known to be
a serious threat to two related species, namely C.
anguina and C. macrolepis, but by seeking refuge
under stones or in disused termite mounds, these
|iz=>rHs are often able to survive the heat and
flames (see Boycott 1990).
ORAN6E
FREE STATE
T
# h e T ra n sva a l G ra ss Lizard
(Chamaesaura aenea) is a peculiar snake-like
reptile found on grass-covered mountain slopes
and highveld grassland of the eastern escarpment
of South Africa and Swaziland (FitzSimons 1943;
Branch 1988; Boycott 1992). The upper parts of
the lizard are dark brown with three pale, yellowish
strip e s and th e fla n k s are s tra w -c o lo u re d .
Underparts are creamy white. Scales on the body
and tail are rough, strongly keeled and arranged
in regular whorls. These elusive animals have
small fore- and hindlimbs, each with five clawed
digits, used for providing stability when at rest and
p o ssib ly also a ssistin g in slo w m ovem ents
between grass tussocks. When speed is required
the limbs are folded against the body and the tail,
which is more than three times the length of the
body, plays an important part in propelling the
The first Transvaal Grass Lizard recorded from the
O range Free S tate was co lle cte d at Lindley
(FitzSimons 1943). An intensive survey of the
reptiles of the OFS was conducted by staff at the
National Museum in the years 1972-74, but no
additional grass lizards were collected. When the
results of the survey were published in 1978, Dr
S.W.R de Waal (a previous herpetologist at the
N a tio n a l M u se u m ) n o te d th a t th e L in d le y
specim en, re p o rte d ly housed at the Albany
Museum in Grahamstown, appeared to be lost
and, considering the fact that his survey had failed
to turn up a single specimen, he regarded the
Transvaal Grass Lizard as being of doubtful
occurrence in the OFS.
Transvaal Grass Uzard (Chamaesaura aenea) from Little Switzerland in the Natal Drakensburg.
However, in April 1986,
43 years after publication
of the Lindley record, Mr
J. Marais discovered a
s p e c im e n at G o ld e n
Gate Highlands National
Park in the eastern OFS
(see B a tes 1988). In
1990 a n o th e r gra ss
lizard, also from Golden
Gate, was donated to the
National Museum by Dr
G.H. Groenewald of the
N a tio n a l Parks Board
(Bates 1991), w hile a
th ird s p e c im e n was
collected in the park in
(photo: L .H . du Preez)
CULNA
32
SEPTEMBER 1994
Reproduced by Sabinet Gateway under licence granted by the Publisher (dated 2012.)
April 1991 by Prof. D.J. Kok of the
University of the OFS (see Bates
1 9 9 2 ).The
G o ld e n
G ate
specimens are preserved in the
herpetological collection of the
National Museum and confirm the
occurrence of this elusive species
in the eastern OFS.
Both the Transvaal Grass Lizard
and a close relative, the Cape
Grass Lizard (C. a. anguina), were
recently found together at Royal
Natal National Park on the Natal/
OFS border (Lambiris 1989), and
it is hoped that the latter species
will also be discovered within the
borders of the OFS in the near future.
Close-up of a Transvaal Grass Uzard showing the reduced forelimbs.
(photo: L .H . d u Preez)
In Culna No. 4 4 1reported on the discovery of two
extremely rare Breyer's Long-tailed Seps lizards
at Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve (Bates 1993).
It is hoped that C. aenea will also be collected in
this reserve, as it has been collected nearby at
R oyal N atal N a tio n a l Park as w ell as little
Switzerland, both in the Natal Drakensburg. Other
in terestin g and u n co m m o n am p h ib ia n s and
reptiles have been collected in this part of the
eastern OFS, which has a high species diversity
(Bates 1992). Members of the public living or
w o rk in g in th e e a ste rn OFS are th e re fo re
encouraged to keep th e ir eyes open and to
contact the National M useum if they discover
interesting creatures such as grass lizards or long­
tailed seps.
Distribution of the Transvaal Grass Lizard in southern Africa.
(a m e n d e d after Bates
1 992 )
m
References
Bates, M.F. 1988. New distribution records for the Orange Free State
(amphibians and reptiles], J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr. 34: 51.
Bates, M.F. 1991. A provisional checklist of the reptiles and amphib­
ians of Golden Gate Highlands National Park. Koedoe 34(2) 153155.
Bates, M.F. 1992. The herpetofauna of the Orange Free State - with
special emphasis on biogeographical patterning. Unpublished M.Sc.
thesis, University of Natal, Durban.
Bates, M.F. 1993, Extremely rare lizards found at Sterkfontein Dam
Nature Reserve. Culna 44: 34-36.
Boycott, R.C. 1990. Chamaesaura anguina: Size, reproduction and
susceptibility to fire. J. Herpetol. Assoc. Afr. 37: 49.
Boycott, R.C. 1992. An annotated checklist of the amphibians and
reptiles of Swaziland. The Conservation Trust of Swaziland.
Branch, W.R. 1988. Field guide to the snakes and other reptiles of
Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik.
De Waal, S.W.R 1978. The Squamata (Reptilia) of the Orange Free
State, South Africa. Mem. nas. Mus., Bloemfontein 11: 1-160.
FitzSimons, V.F.M. 1943. The lizards of South Africa. Mem. Transvaal
Mus. 1: 1-528.
Lambiris, A.J.L. 1989. Supplement No. 1 to Annual report on the
herpetological collection of A.J.L. Lambiris (1988). Ann. Rep. Lambiris
Herp. Coll. 8(2): 1-15 (privately published).
CULNA
33
SEPTEMBER 1994