Acontias gracilicauda

Acontias gracilicauda, the slendertail lance skink or thin-tailed legless skink, is a species of skink.^[1][2] It is found in the Republic of South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, Mpumalanga, Free State, North-West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal) and Lesotho.^[1] Acontias namaquensis was formerly included in this species as a subspecies, but is now recognized as a distinct species.^[1][2]

Acontias gracilicauda
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Scinciformata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Acontidae
Genus:	Acontias
Species:	A. gracilicauda
Binomial name
Acontias gracilicauda Essex, 1925[2]
Approximate range of Acontias gracilicauda. The disjunct, western component is now considered a distinct species, Acontias namaquensis.

Description

Adult males measure on average 152 mm (6.0 in) and adult females 179 mm (7.0 in) in snout–vent length.^[3] It has no limbs, like other members of its genus.^[4]