Transvaal grass lizard

The Transvaal grass lizard, also known as the coppery grass lizard and Transvaal snake lizard (Chamaesaura aenea)^[3] is a species of lizard in the genus Chamaesaura. It is found in southern African grasslands and on slopes.^[4] The Transvaal grass lizard is ovoviviparous.^[5] The scientific name refers to its copper colour.

Transvaal grass lizard
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Cordylidae
Genus:	Chamaesaura
Species:	C. aenea
Binomial name
Chamaesaura aenea Fitzinger, 1843[2]

It was first described in 1843 by Fitzinger (who named it Cricochalcis aenea), based on specimens at the Natural History Museum in Berlin that were collected in South Africa by Ludwig Krebs.^[6]

Distribution

On a rock in a Drakensberg stream

The Transvaal grass lizard inhabits South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini.^[2] It can be found in grasslands and on slopes and ridges.^[4]

Habits and breeding

This lizard is ovoviviparous, meaning mothers carry eggs inside their bodies until they are ready to hatch.^[5]

Conservation

Neither the Southern African Red Data nor the International Red Data list the Transvaal grass lizard. However, the Swaziland Red Data puts the lizard at Near Threatened levels.^[4]

Name

The scientific name of this lizard, Chamaesaura aenea, is due to the lizard's copper color. Aenea is a Latin word meaning "bronze" or "copper."^[5]

See also

• Chamaesaura