Trachylepis sparsa
The Karasburg Tree Skink is a close relative of the Striped Skink and was once regarded a subspecies of it. It grows to about 8cm long (excluding the tail) and occurs in a small area around the borders of Botswana, Namibia and South Africa’s Northern Cape, in and around the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, where it is frequently observed. These Skinks inhabit arid savanna habitats and, as their name suggests, are largely arboreal in habit. They feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates. Females give birth to three to nine live babies in summer.
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
Karasburg Tree Skink
DeWetsWild 
Oulike klein krokedillitjie! 😉
Hulle is nogal ja!
We see a few different lizards in the American SouthWest, but I bed your parks have a much wider variety than is found around here.
I don’t know the figures for your part of the world, John, but we have around 350 species of reptiles in South Africa – of which about 220 kinds are lizards (including geckos and chameleons).
I will have to do some research to find that out for our area!
Skink sounds so close to skunk that I have to really think about liking them. 🙂 Not the most attractive name for a shy little creature.
janet
I agree, Janet; these special creatures really deserve a more flattering name!
Baie goeie artikel en foto’s, Dries!
Baie dankie, Dina!
Something so elegant about a skink! Nice to see a less familiar species.
This species has such a limited distribution, but thankfully they’re very common in the camps of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and quite habituated it would seem.
It’s a beautiful little lizard!😊 Fantastic pictures you have taken!😊 I have maybe got 10 pictures of lizards, they are so fast and difficult to shoot. You can see that the snakes come from lizards before they developed as snakes, I think. I told you that we have 3 species of lizards here in Sweden, but we have 4, I forgot the slowworm who have no legs.
Thanks, John!
I am fascinated by the legless lizards, as they must be a glimpse of the evolution from lizards into snakes. Unfortunately they live mostly underground here, so not seen very often.
I have not seen anyone since I was a child. It is said that it is the lizard that can grow oldest. 30 years in wild state and 54 years in captivity!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguis_fragilis
Thanks for the link, John – what fascinating creatures!
What’s with all this creepy stuff? They’re shiny, beautiful-coloured creatures!
I loved seeing them so often while we were in the Kalahari – they don’t seem to be much bothered by people at all!
How wonderful! Skinks or geckos here I hardly ever manage to see unless they’re in captivity.
Most of our species are also excellent at hiding – I suppose if you’re on the menu for so many predators they have to be!
I like your photography. I always like your posts. But I don’t think I’ll ever like skinks!
Might that be because of all those extra eyelids, or because they can throw off their tails? 😀
So slick
That’s exactly where they got their Afrikaans name from: “gladde” means “smooth”!
Right on!
😊🙏
Cute in a creepy way!😂😂😜
Definitely – especially so when they’re peeping out of their holes in the trees!