Panaspis wahlbergii
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Panaspis wahlbergii, also known commonly as the Angolan snake-eyed skink, the savannah lidless skink, and Wahlberg's snake-eyed skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it likely represents more than one species.
The specific name, wahlbergii, is in honor of Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg. P. wahlbergii is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Earlier records from further north have been assigned to other species.
The preferred natural habitat of P. wahlbergii is savanna, both arid and mesic. Adults of P. wahlbergii usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in), and the tail is slightly longer than SVL. Males are larger than females, and the maximum recorded SVL is 6.4 cm (2.5 in).
P. wahlbergii is oviparous. An adult female may lay a clutch of 2–6 eggs. Each egg measures on average 8 mm x 4.5 mm (0.31 in x 0.18 in). Each hatchling has a total length (including tail) of about 3 cm (1.2 in). Wikipedia →
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 13th most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and May–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in January and March–April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink sightings, Durban ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pretoria (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink that you can see in Durban (family Scincidae, Skinks) are African Striped Skink (about 30%), 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 Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Durban (21 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.
