Tropidosaura montana


Tropidosaura montana, also known commonly as the common mountain lizard and the green-striped mountain lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of T. montana are grassland and shrubland.

Description

Adults of T. montana have a snout-to-vent length of. Compared to other species of its genus, the head is shorter, and the tail is longer.

Behavior

T. montana is terrestrial.

Reproduction

T. montana is oviparous. An adult female may lay a clutch of 4–5 eggs, each egg measuring on average 10.5 x 6.5 mm. Eggs are laid in November and hatch in a little more than a month. Each hatchling has a total length of about.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
  • Tropidosaura montana montana
  • Tropidosaura montana natalensis
  • Tropidosaura montana rangeri
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Tropidosaura.

Etymology

The subspecific name, rangeri, is in honor of Gordon Ranger who collected the holotype.