Pedioplanis namaquensis
Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Namaqua Sand Lizard sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 39 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Namaqua Sand Lizard in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, July and November, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Namaqua Sand Lizard sightings, Namib-Naukluft National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 10%).
Same genus: Pedioplanis
The closest relatives of the Namaqua Sand Lizard that you can see in Namib-Naukluft National Park (genus Pedioplanis) are Bill’s Sand Lizard (about 20%), Plain Sand Lizard (about 20%) and Short-headed Sandveld Lizard (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Namaqua Sand Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Namib-Naukluft National Park (26 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.
