Trachylepis striata
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The African striped skink (Trachylepis striata), commonly called the striped skink, is a species of lizard in the skink family (Scincidae). The species is widespread in East Africa and Southern Africa. It is not a close relation to the Australian striped skink, Ctenotus taeniolatus.
Both sexes grow to a total length (including tail) of 25 cm (9.8 in). Their tails are often missing due to predators. Striped Skink, Destination Kruger Park Media related to Trachylepis striata at Wikimedia Commons Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III.... Scincidæ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Mabuia striata, pp. 204–205; Mabuia wahlbergii, pp. 205–206).
Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 5 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 8 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 9 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 10 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 11 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 16 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 17 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maputo | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 2 | Lilongwe | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 3 | Addis Ababa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 4 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 5 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Dar es-Salaam | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an African Striped Skink sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 261 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and July
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an African Striped Skink in Durban on a given day, against about 10% in January, the lowest month. Those are among Durban's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Striped Skink sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate African Striped Skink sightings, Durban ranks 7th at about 30%. The best odds are in Maputo (Mozambique, about 60%), Lilongwe (Malawi, about 50%) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia, about 50%).
Same genus: Trachylepis
The closest relatives of the African Striped Skink that you can see in Durban (genus Trachylepis, Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas) are Eastern Sand Skink (about 10%) and Variable Skink (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Striped Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Durban (261 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
