Chamaesaura

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Scincomorpha
Superfamilia: Scincoidea

Familia: Cordylidae
Subfamilia: Cordylinae
Genus: Chamaesaura
Species (5): C. aenea - C. anguina - C. macrolepis – C. miopropus – C. tenuior

Name

Chamaesaura Schneider, 1801: 205

Type species: Lacerta anguina Linnaeus, 1758, by subsequent designation by Fitzinger (1826: 50).
References
Primary references

Schneider, J.G. 1801. Historiae Amphibiorum naturalis et literariae. Fasciculus secundus continens Crocodilos, Scincos, Chamaesauras, Boas, Pseudoboas, Elapes, Angues, Amphisbaenas et Caecilias. Friederici Frommanni: Jenae. 364 pp. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Loveridge, A. 1944. Revision of the African lizards of the family Cordylidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 95: 1–118, pls. 1–12. BHL Reference page.
Frost, D.R., Janies, D., Mouton, P. Le F.N. & Titus, T.A. 2001. A molecular perspective on the phylogeny of the girdled lizards (Cordylidae, Squamata). American Museum Novitates 3310: 1–10. DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2001)310<0001:AMPOTP>2.0.CO;2 handle. Reference page.
Stanley, E.L., Bauer, A.M., Jackman, T.R., Branch, W.R. & Mouton, P. Le F.N. 2011. Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58(1): 53–70. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.08.024 Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2022. Chamaesaura . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 9 September 2017.

Vernacular names
English: Snake-Lizards

The Chamaesaura, also known as grass lizards, are a genus of legless lizards from southern and eastern Africa. The limbs are reduced to small spikes. Chamaesaura propel themselves like snakes, pushing against contact points in the environment, such as rocks, plants and irregularities in the soil.[1] They are viviparous and eat small invertebrates, especially grasshoppers.
Species

Chamaesaura aenea (Fitzinger, 1843) – coppery grass lizard, Transvaal snake lizard
Chamaesaura anguina Linnaeus, 1758 – Cape grass lizard, Cape snake lizard
Chamaesaura macrolepis (Cope, 1862) – large-scale grass lizard, large-scale snake lizard
Chamaesaura miopropus Boulenger, 1895 – Zambian snake lizard, Zambian grass lizard
Chamaesaura tenuior Günther, 1895 – Cape snake lizard

References

Cogger, H 1993 Fauna of Australia. Vol. 2A Amphibia and Reptilia. Australian Biological Resources Studies, Canberra.

Branch, B., 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing, Sanibel Island, Florida, 399 p.
Spawls, S., Howell, K, Drewes, R, and Ashe, J, 2002. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa: Academic Press, San Diego, 543 p.