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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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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 Pretoria on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 19th most-seen of the 20 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.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink in Pretoria on a given day, against under 5% in February–April and October–December, the lowest months. That is one of Pretoria's driest months, with almost no rain against 130 mm in December.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink sightings, Pretoria has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Durban (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Scincidae
The closest relatives of the Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink that you can see in Pretoria (family Scincidae, Skinks) are Montane Speckled Skink (about 40%), 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 Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Pretoria (10 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.
