Pedioplanis namaquensis
Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Pedioplanis namaquensis, known commonly as the Namaqua sand lizard or l'Érémias namaquois (in French), is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa. P. namaquensis is found in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.
A slender and small species, adults have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in). The lower eyelid has 10–12 enlarged scales, and is semitransparent. P. namaquensis preys upon insects. P. namaquensis is oviparous.
Auerbach RD (1987). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Gaborone, Botswana: Mokwepa Consultants. 295 pp. ISBN 978-9991201139. Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Eremias namaquensis, pp. 91–92).
Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1839). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome cinquième [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (Eremias namaquensis, new species, pp. 307... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Namaqua Sand Lizard sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 22 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Namaqua Sand Lizard in Etosha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–April, June–August and November, the lowest months. That is one of Etosha National Park's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain against almost none in June.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Namaqua Sand Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Namaqua Sand Lizard sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 20%) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Namaqua Sand Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Etosha National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
