Eastwood's long-tailed seps

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Eastwood's longtailed seps
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Gerrhosauridae
Genus: Tetradactylus
Species:
T. eastwoodae
Binomial name
Tetradactylus eastwoodae
Hewitt & Methuen, 1913

Eastwood's longtailed seps (Tetradactylus eastwoodae), also known

habitat loss.[1]

Etymology

The specific name, eastwoodae, is in honor of Miss A. Eastwood who collected the holotype.[3]

Description

T. eastwoodae was snake-like, with very small legs. Each front leg had only three toes, and each back leg had only two toes.[2]

Reproduction

T. eastwoodae was oviparous.[2]

Extinction

The type locality for T. eastwoodae is the Haenertsburg area near Woodbush in the Letaba district approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) West of where the Magoebaskloof hotel now is, where two specimens were found during the early 20th century around 1911. Subsequently, the area has been intensively planted to Eucalyptus and Pinus tree species for commercial use, and the grasslands where this species once occurred have now been eradicated. Searches in remaining grasslands have not been able to establish that any living specimens remain, and since no specimens since 1911 have been found, it is now considered extinct.[1]

References

Further reading

  • Berger-Dell'Mour HAE (1983). "Der Übergang von Echse zu Schleiche in der Gattung Tetradactylus, Merrem ". Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Anatomie und Ontogenie der Tiere 110: 1–152. (in German).
  • . (Tetradactylus eastwoodae, p. 183).
  • FitzSimons VF (1943). The Lizards of South Africa. Transvaal Museum Memoir No. 1. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum. xvi + 528 pp. (Tetradactylus eastwoodae, p. 294).
  • Hewitt J, Methuen PA (1913). "Descriptions of some New Batrachia and Lacertilia from South Africa". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 3 (1): 107–111. (Tetradactylus eastwoodae, new species).