03 July 2008

Fraser's Legless Lizard - Delma fraseri

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Fraser's Legless Lizard - Delma fraseri

A large legless lizard growing to around 2 foot (600 mm total length) and far less common in my area than the scaly-foot legless lizard, but it should not be confused with that species due to the broad bands around the head and neck region. The above lizard was killed by a cat and the teeth perforations can be clearly seen from the neck and along the body/tail, which is typical of these predators who often have little interest in eating the animal, but play with it until bored when they then kill them.

These lizards apparently favour dense low shrubs and tussock vegetation where they hunt for insects like grasshoppers and cockroaches. The dead one above had two large eggs in her abdomen that she was about ready to lay; making it triply tragic that she was killed.