Unidentified. Is this a snake or a legless skink?

Agamas, geckos, lizards, monitors and skinks indigenous to South Africa.

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Unidentified. Is this a snake or a legless skink?

Postby jacovn » Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:02 am

Hi all, my mother-in-law took this pic at Hluhluwe nature reserve in May 2010, but only sent it to me now. I have no field guides or books, so please help me ID this little bugger. Had to resize the pic to upload it to the website, but by looks of it, it seems to be between 300 and 400 mm long.
Image

Cheers J
Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
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Re: Unidentified. Is this a snake or a legless skink?

Postby Westley Price » Fri Dec 24, 2010 10:42 am

I also don't have a field guide handy, but it's definitely one of the larger Acontias, Legless Skinks.

I'll venture a guess and say Giant Legless Skink, A. plumbeus.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: Unidentified. Is this a snake or a legless skink?

Postby Pythonodipsas » Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:15 am

Westley is right, that's a Giant Legless Skink (Acontias plumbeus).
`
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Re: Unidentified. Is this a snake or a legless skink?

Postby jacovn » Fri Dec 24, 2010 10:30 pm

Thanks guys, appreciated
Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
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Location: Klerksdorp, North West Province, ZA


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