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.