Pungwe flat lizard

{{Short description|Species of lizard}}

{{speciesbox

| name = Pungwe flat lizard

| image = Pungwe-plattechse-01.jpg

| image_caption = Individual at the Frankfurt Zoo

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Tolley, K.A. |author2=Alexander, G.J. |date=2021 |title=Platysaurus pungweensis |volume=2021 |page=e.T177573A120633574 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T177573A120633574.en |access-date=18 November 2021}}

| genus = Platysaurus

| species = pungweensis

| authority = Broadley, 1959

}}

The Pungwe flat lizard (Platysaurus pungweensis) is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family.

Description

Females and juveniles of the Pungwe flat lizard are black and striped on their backs. Males vary by subspecies. The species resembles the common flat lizard, Platysaurus intermedius.

Geography

Pungwe flat lizards live in eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique. The type was obtained at the Pungwe River at 730 m (2,400 ft) above sea level, near the eastern border of Rhodesia (current Zimbabwe).

Habitat and ecology

Pungwe flat lizards inhabit low rock outcrops and large hills in mesic savanna. They eat ants and beetles.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are accepted:

  • P. p. pungweensisEastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique
  • P. p. blakei Broadley, 1964 – outcrops and inselbergs in the lowlands of southern Manica Platform, central Mozambique. Type locality {{convert|15|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=off}} southeast of Vila de Manica.{{cite web |last1=Adolphs |first1=Klaus |title=Platysaurus Smith, 1844 |url= http://www.squamata.de/c_news/c_archive/c_archive/c_platy.html |website=www.squamata.de | date = 29 July 2015 |accessdate=24 December 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405131003/http://www.squamata.de:80/c_news/c_archive/c_archive/c_platy.html |archive-date=5 April 2019}}

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{NRDB species |genus=Platysaurus |species=pungweensis |accessdate=23 March 2021}}

}}