Eastwood's long-tailed seps
Eastwood's longtailed seps (Tetradactylus eastwoodae), also known commonly as Eastwood's whip lizard was a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae. The species was endemic to South Africa.[2] Its natural habitat was subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It became extinct due to habitat loss.[1]
| Eastwood's longtailed seps | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gerrhosauridae |
| Genus: | Tetradactylus |
| Species: | †T. eastwoodae |
| Binomial name | |
| †Tetradactylus eastwoodae | |
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]
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
- Bates, M.F.; Jacobsen, N. (2018). "Tetradactylus eastwoodae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T21663A115653635. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T21663A115653635.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- "Tetradactylus eastwoodae". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- 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. (Tetradactylus eastwoodae, p. 80).
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).
- 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. (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).