Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
January 31st, 2025.
 
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Genus
Scelotes
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Dwarf Burrowing Skinks
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Zwergwühlskinke
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Dværggraveskinker
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1826 |  |
Scelotes Fitzinger (type species: Bipes anguineus Merrem 1820) |
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1830 | |
Zygnis Wagler [not Zygnis Oken 1816 (nomen rejectum); not Zygnis Fitzinger 1826 (Reptilia: Scincidae)] (type species: Anguis bipes Linnaeus 1766; syn. Greer 1970) |
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1849 | |
Lithophilus Smith [not Lithophilus Frölich 1799] (type species: Lithophilus inornatus Smith 1849; syn. Greer 1970) |
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1854 | |
Herpetosaura Peters (type species: Herpetosaura arenicola Peters 1854; syn. Greer 1970) |
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1861 | |
Sepomorphus Peters (type species: Sepomorphus caffer Peters 1861; syn. Greer 1970) |
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1887 | |
Herpetoseps Boulenger (type species: Herpetoseps anguinus Boulenger 1887; syn. Greer 1970) |
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1892 | |
Podoclonium Cope (type species: Scelotes guentheri Boulenger 1887; syn. Shea 2021) |
Contents:
21 species, of which 12 (57.1%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Distribution:
S. and E. Africa.
Reported from:
Botswana,
Eswatini,
Mozambique
(incl.
Bazaruto Archipelago
[incl.
Benguerua]),
Namibia,
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga,
Northern Cape,
Western Cape),
Tanzania,
Zimbabwe.
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Scelotes anguinus
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Algoa Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Algoa-Zwergwühlskink
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Algoa-dværggraveskink
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1887 | |
Herpetoseps anguinus Boulenger |
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| |
Herpetosaura anguina Boulenger 1910 |
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Scelotes anguina Hewitt 1921 |
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Scelotes anguineus Branch 1998 |
Remarks:
Specific epithet spelt anguineus by some authors (e.g., Branch 1998; Bates, Branch, Bauer, Burger, Marais, Alexander & Villiers [eds.] 2014).
Distribution:
South Africa
(Eastern Cape).
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Scelotes arenicola
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Zululand Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Zululand-Zwergwühlskink
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Zululand-dværggraveskink
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1854 | |
Herpetosaura arenicola Peters |
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| |
Scelotes arenicola Boulenger 1887 |
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1849 | |
Lithophilus bicolor Smith (Branch & Bauer 2005; Bauer 2016) |
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| |
Scelotes bicolor Boulenger 1887 |
Distribution:
Mozambique,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal).
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Scelotes bidigittatus
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Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Lowveld-Zwergwühlskink
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Lowveld-dværggraveskink
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1930 | |
Scelotes bidigittatus Fitzsimons |
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| |
Herpetosaura bidigittata Witte & Laurent 1943 |
Distribution:
Eswatini,
Mozambique,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga).
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|
Scelotes bipes
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Silvery Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Silberne Zwergwühlskink
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Sølv-dværggraveskink
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1766 | |
Anguis bipes Linnaeus |
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Lacerta bipes Gmelin 1789 |
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Chamaesaura bipes Schneider 1799 |
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Scelotes bipes Gray 1845 |
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1802 | |
Seps schneideri Daudin (Witte & Laurent 1943) |
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1820 | |
Bipes anguineus Merrem (Witte & Laurent 1943) |
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1839 | |
Scelotes linnaei Duméril & Bibron (Witte & Laurent 1943) |
|
1939 | |
Scelotes bipes namaquensis Fitzsimons (Fitzsimons 1943; Witte & Laurent 1943) |
Distribution:
South Africa
(Western Cape).
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Scelotes caffer
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Cape Three-toed Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Dreizehiger Zwergwühlskink
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Tretået Dværggraveskink
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1861 | |
Sepomorphus caffer Peters |
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Scelotes ? caffer Boulenger 1887 |
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Scelotes caffer Boulenger 1910 |
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Herpetosaura caffer Witte & Laurent 1943 |
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1887 | |
Scelotes tridactylus Boulenger (Fitzsimons 1943) |
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Herpetosaura tridactyla Witte & Laurent 1943 |
Distribution:
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
Northern Cape,
Western Cape).
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Scelotes caluanda
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Caluanda Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Caluanda-Zwergwühlskink
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Caluanda-dværggraveskink
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2025 | |
Scelotes caluanda Parrinha, Marques, Sousa, Bauer & Ceríaco |
Distribution:
Angola.
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Scelotes capensis
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Namibian Dwarf Burrowing Skink, Western Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Namibischer Zwergwühlskink
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Namibisk Dværggraveskink
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1849 | |
Gongylus capensis Smith |
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Seps capensis Günther 1871 |
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Scelotes capensis Boulenger 1887 |
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Herpetosaura capensis Witte & Laurent 1943 |
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1907 | |
Sepsina weberi Roux (Fitzsimons 1943) |
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Herpetosaura weberi Witte & Laurent 1943 |
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1929 | |
Scelotes capensis depressus Hewitt (Fitzsimons 1943) |
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Herpetosaura capensis depressa Witte & Laurent 1943 |
Distribution:
Namibia,
South Africa
(Northern Cape).
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Scelotes duttoni
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Benguerua Island Dwarf Burrowing Skink, (Dutton's Dwarf Burrowing Skink)
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Benguerua-Zwergwühlskink
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Benguerua-dværggraveskink
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1990 | |
Scelotes duttoni Broadley |
Distribution:
Mozambique
(incl.
Bazaruto Archipelago
[incl.
Benguerua]).
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Scelotes farquharsoni
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Qudeni Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Qudeni-Zwergwühlskink
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Qudeni-dværggraveskink
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2020 | |
Scelotes farquharsoni Raw |
Distribution:
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal).
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Scelotes fitzsimonsi
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Kosi Bay Dwarf Burrowing Skink, (FitzSimons's Dwarf Burrowing Skink)
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Kosi-Zwergwühlskink
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Kosi-dværggraveskink
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1994 | |
Scelotes fitzsimonsi Broadley |
Distribution:
Mozambique,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal).
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Scelotes gronovii
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Cape One-toed Dwarf Burrowing Skink, (Gronovi's Dwarf Burrowing Skink)
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Einzehiger Zwergwühlskink
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Entået Dværggraveskink
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1802 | |
Seps gronovii Daudin |
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Scelotes gronovii Boulenger 1898 |
Remarks:
Heideman, Mulcahy, Sites, Hendricks & Daniels (2011) redefined species boundaries within the genus Scelotes and restricted the range of the
already threatened kasneri and gronovii.
Distribution:
South Africa
(Western Cape).
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Scelotes guentheri
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Natal Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Natal-Zwergwühlskink
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Natal-dværggraveskink
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1887 | |
Scelotes guentheri Boulenger |
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Herpetosaura güntheri Witte & Laurent 1943 |
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1994 | |
Scelotes bourquini Broadley (syn. Raw 2021) |
Remarks:
Previously referred to as bourquini.
Distribution:
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal).
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Scelotes inornatus
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Durban Dwarf Burrowing Skink, South African Plain Skink, (Smith's Dwarf Burrowing Skink)
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Schmuckloser Zwergwühlskink
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Prydløs Dværggraveskink
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1849 | |
Lithophilus inornatus Smith |
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Herpetosaura inornata Günther 1873 |
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Scelotes inornatus Boulenger 1887 |
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1921 | |
Scelotes natalensis Hewitt (Broadley 1994) |
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Herpetosaura natalensis Witte & Laurent 1943 |
Distribution:
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal).
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Scelotes insularis
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Bazaruto Archipelago Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Bazaruto-Zwergwühlskink
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Bazaruto-dværggraveskink
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1990 | |
Scelotes arenicola insularis Broadley |
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Scelotes insularis Broadley 1994 |
Distribution:
Mozambique
(incl.
Bazaruto Archipelago
[incl.
Benguerua]).
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Scelotes kasneri
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Cape Two-toed Dwarf Burrowing Skink, (Kasner's Dwarf Burrowing Skink)
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Zweizehiger Zwergwühlskink
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Totået Dværggraveskink
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1939 | |
Scelotes kasneri Fitzsimons |
Remarks:
Heideman, Mulcahy, Sites, Hendricks & Daniels (2011) redefined species boundaries within the genus Scelotes and restricted the range of the already threatened kasneri and gronovii.
Distribution:
South Africa
(Western Cape).
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Scelotes limpopoensis
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Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink, Limpopo Sand Skink
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Limpopo-Zwergwühlskink
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Limpopo-dværggraveskink
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1930 | |
Scelotes limpopoensis Fitzsimons |
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Herpetosaura limpopoensis Witte & Laurent 1943 |
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1987 | |
Scelotes limpopoensis albiventris Jacobsen |
Other common names:
albiventris: White-bellied Dwarf Burrowing Skink
Distribution:
Botswana,
South Africa
(Limpopo),
Zimbabwe.
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Scelotes mirus
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Montane Dwarf Burrowing Skink, Transvaal Sand Skink
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Hochland-Zwergwühlskink
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Højlands-dværggraveskink
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1907 | |
Herpetosaura mira Roux |
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Scelotes mira Hewitt 1921 |
Distribution:
Eswatini,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga).
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Scelotes montispectus
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Bloubergstrand Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Bloubergstrand-Zwergwühlskink
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Bloubergstrand-dværggraveskink
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2003 | |
Scelotes montispectus Bauer, Whiting & Sadlier |
Distribution:
South Africa
(Western Cape).
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Scelotes mossambicus
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Mozambique Dwarf Burrowing Skink, (Hewitt's Dwarf Burrowing Skink)
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Mosambikanischer Zwergwühlskink
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Mozambiqisk Dværggraveskink
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1882 | |
Herpetosaura inornata var. mossambica Peters |
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Scelotes inornatus mossambicus Bruton & Haacke 1980 |
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Scelotes mossambicus Broadley 1994 |
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1925 | |
Scelotes brevipes Hewitt (Broadley 1994) |
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Herpetosaura brevipes Witte & Laurent 1943 |
Distribution:
Eswatini,
Mozambique,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga).
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Scelotes sexlineatus
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Striped Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Gestreifter Zwergwühlskink
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Stribet Dværggraveskink
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1824 | |
Seps sexlineatus Harlan |
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Scelotes bipes sexlineatus Welch 1982 |
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Scelotes sexlineatus Branch 1988 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of bipes (e.g., Witte & Laurent 1943).
Distribution:
Namibia,
South Africa
(Northern Cape,
Western Cape).
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Scelotes uluguruensis
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Uluguru Dwarf Burrowing Skink, Uluguru Fossorial Skink, Uluguru Five-toed Scelotes
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Uluguru-Zwergwühlskink
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Uluguru-dværggraveskink
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1928 | |
Scelotes uluguruensis Barbour & Loveridge |
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Proscelotes uluguruensis Witte & Laurent 1943 |
Distribution:
Tanzania.
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Scelotes vestigifer
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Coastal Dwarf Burrowing Skink
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Küsten-Zwergwühlskink
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Kyst-dværggraveskink
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1994 | |
Scelotes vestigifer Broadley |
Distribution:
Mozambique,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal).
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