Kalahari burrowing skink

Introduction: Kalahari Burrowing skinks (Typhlacontias rohani) do not have external limbs, perhaps explaining their preferred habitat of Kalahari sand. They can be found under piles of vegetable matter and logs. Although they are active sandswimmers they are often drowned when flat pans flood after heavy rains. Foraging takes place at night, just below the surface of the sand, leaving a thin, winding track. Very few specimens are found with their original tails, an indicating that they are heavily preyed upon. Predators include burrowing purple gloss and quill-snouted snakes.

Distribution: Damper areas of the northern Kalahari sand areas, the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip) eastwards from Rundu to Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve.

Diet: Small insects, beetle larvae and termites.

Colouring: A buff coloured body has a dark stripe running along the backbone. The belly is white at the edges, darkening towards the centre. In the Kwando River and Caprivi Strip regions, the sides of the body and head are darker brown.

Breeding: Females give birth to 3 or 4 young.

Size: Max SVL 90mm.