Heliobolus_lugubris

<i>Heliobolus lugubris</i>

Heliobolus lugubris

Species of lizard

Heliobolus lugubris, also known commonly as the bushveld lizard, mourning racerunner, or the black and yellow sand lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in Southern Africa: southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana, southwestern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, and south-central to northern South Africa.[1][3]

Quick Facts Bushveld lizard, Conservation status ...

Mimicry

Juveniles of H. lugubris are black with light spots and move with a hunched gait, mimicking the appearance of Anthia ground beetles. This mimicry is thought to discourage predation, as the beetles spray formic acid as a defense mechanism and are thus less appealing targets for predators. This is one of very few recorded examples of a vertebrate mimicking an invertebrate.[4]

References

  1. [1]
    Alexander, G.J.; Tolley, K.A. (2021). "Heliobolus lugubris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T196975A147689194. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T196975A147689194.en. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. [2]
    Smith, Andrew (1838). "Contributions to the Natural History of Southern Africa". Magazine of Natural History. 2: 93. (Lacerta lugubris, new species).
  3. [3]
    Heliobolus lugubris at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 25 February 2023.
  4. [4]
    Huey, RB; Pianka, ER (January 1977). "Natural selection for juvenile lizards mimicking noxious beetles". Science. 195 (4274): 201–203. Bibcode:1977Sci...195..201H. doi:10.1126/science.831272. PMID 831272.

Further reading

  • 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. (Heliobolus lugubris, p. 161 + Plate 57).


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