Kasner’s dwarf burrowing skink  (Scelotes kasneri)

Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1).

While this peculiar reptile may look like a snake, it is actually a lizard. It lacks forelimbs but it does have tiny hindlimbs each bearing two claws (2). The body is covered with small, smooth scales and has a straw-coloured stripe along the back. Bordering this stripe are three rows of scales which bear dark purple-brown spots, creating the impression of three dark stripes on either side. The belly is yellowish-white to greyish-white and the underside of the tail is patterned with dark spots. The flattened head of Kasner’s dwarf burrowing skink has well-developed eyes with opaque lower eyelids and very small ear openings (2).

Occurs along the coast of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, from Lambert’s Bay to Vredenburg (2).

Kasner’s dwarf burrowing skink inhabits coastal dunes with little vegetation, where it is found under stones and litter (2), and will quickly wriggle into the sand if disturbed (3).

Little is known about the biology of Kasner’s dwarf burrowing skink, which is rarely encountered due to its underground lifestyle (4). Other Scelotes species are viviparous and give birth to between one and four young (2), and the majority of skinks feed on arthropods and insects (5).

Kasner’s dwarf burrowing skink is considered threatened due to the destruction and degradation of its coastal habitat (6). This is the result of coastal development, primarily for holiday housing, water extraction and agriculture (4).

As yet, there are no conservation measures known to be in place for Kasner’s dwarf burrowing skink.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

For further information on conservation in the Western Cape, South Africa see:

• CapeNature:
  www.capenature.org.za