Knox's Ocellated Sand Lizard

Fascinating facts about the Knox's Ocellated Sand Lizard

• A fully grown Knox's ocellated sand lizard fits on a ruler – adults measure just 5.5–6.5 cm from snout to vent, and they dash across sandy soil from shrub to shrub.
• When the breeding season arrives, male lizards have a bright yellow chin, throat, and anal area against their usual brown and spotted backs.
• Living in the shrublands of Namibia and South Africa, Knox's sand lizards are daytime hunters that eat beetles, flies, and other insects.

At a glance

About the Knox's Ocellated Sand Lizard

Knox's ocellated sand lizard, Meroles knoxii, is a diminutive sand-dweller that measures 5.5–6.5 cm from snout to vent. Its brownish dorsal surface has stripes and spots, while the ventral side is bluish-gray to cream-colored, except during breeding season when males have a bright-yellow chin, throat, and anal region. It has slightly fringed toes and visible ear openings, and its preferred habitat is shrubland in Namibia and South Africa, where it dashes across sandy soil from shrub to shrub. M. knoxii preys upon beetles, flies, and other insects and is oviparous.

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