Trachylepis punctatissima
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Trachylepis punctatissima, commonly called the montane speckled skink or speckled rock skink, is a lizard in the skink family (Scincidae) which is widespread in southern Africa. The common and adaptable species occurs in a variety of habitat types at middle to high altitudes. It was for a time treated as a southern race of the African striped skink, T. striata.
This skink is dark grey brown in colour with two golden brown stripes that run lengthwise on either side of the spine. The underside is dirty white or pale grey. Both sexes grow to a length of about 19 cm (7.5 in). They are diurnal and like to bask in the sun. Those in colder regions will spend a period in hibernation. They are ovoviviparous.
It is native to eastern Zambia, southern Malawi and Botswana, eastern Zimbabwe, central and northern South Africa, Lesotho and western Eswatini. The population on Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi was formerly included with Mabuya striata subsp. punctatissima, but is now treated as a full species, Trachylepis mlanjensis, while the Eastern Highlands population in Zimbabwe may similarly prove to be distinct. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Montane Speckled Skink sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 146 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Montane Speckled Skink in Pretoria on a given day, against about 30% in January, the lowest month.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Montane Speckled 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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Montane Speckled Skink sightings, Pretoria has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Johannesburg (South Africa, about 40%).
Same genus: Trachylepis
The closest relatives of the Montane Speckled Skink that you can see in Pretoria (genus Trachylepis, Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas) are Smooth Variable Skink (about 20%) and Variable Skink (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Montane Speckled Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Pretoria (146 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.
