Trachylepis hoeschi

Trachylepis hoeschi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Scincidae
Genus:	Trachylepis
Species:	T. hoeschi
Binomial name
	Trachylepis hoeschi; (Mertens, 1954)
Synonyms[1]
	Mabuya hoeschi ; Mertens, 1954; Euprepis hoeschi ; — Mausfeld et al., 2002; Trachylepis hoeschi ; — Bauer, 2003;

Trachylepis hoeschi, also known commonly as Hoesch's mabuya and Hoesch's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, hoeschi, is in honor of German zoologist Walter Hoesch (1896–1961), who collected the holotype.[1][2]

Geographic range

T. hoeschi is found in Angola and Namibia.[1]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of T. hoeschi is arid savanna, where it is found on boulders and rock outcrops.[3]

Description

Adults of T. hoeschi usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in). The maximum recorded SVL is 10 cm (3.9 in). The tail is long, about two times SVL.[3]

Dorsally, T. hoeschi is grayish brown, with transverse bands of dark brown spots. Ventrally, it is white, except for the throat which is yellowish.[3]

Diet

T. hoeschi preys upon insects such as beetles, moths, and wasps.[3]

Reproduction

The mode of reproduction of T. hoeschi is unknown.[1]

References

Trachylepis hoeschi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 March 2015.
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. (Mabuya hoeschi, p. 124).
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. (Mabuya hoeschi, p. 153 + Plate 52).

Bauer AM (2003). "On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Fitzinger 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro-Malagasy skinks". African Journal of Herpetology 52: 1–7. (Trachylepis hoeschi, new combination).
Mertens R (1954). "Neue Eidechsen aus Südwest-Afrika". Senckenbergiana 34: 175–183. (Mabuya hoeschi, new species, p. 178). (in German).

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[RDB-1] Trachylepis hoeschi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 22 March 2015.

[2] 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. (Mabuya hoeschi, p. 124).

[Bill-3] 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. (Mabuya hoeschi, p. 153 + Plate 52).