Variation in population size of Bouton’s snake-eyed skink (Reptilia: Scincidae) at Black Rock in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

W.D Haacke

doi:10.4102/koedoe.v45i1.14

Abstract

Bouton’s snake-eyed skink Cryptoblepharus boutonii sp. occurs in scattered island or coastal populations in the Indian Ocean. The most southern known population occurs on Black Rock on the northern coast of KwaZulu-Natal. This tiny population was monitored over a period of 14 summer seasons and a final check was made 10 seasons later. This population consisted of an average of about 58 individuals, but has fluctuated by more than 100 %, suggesting that its existence is very tenuous. The re-check during October 2001 produced very positive figures, indicating that this population, observed over 23 years, is doing very well, is maintaining its numbers within acceptable parameters and is in a good position to survive without special precautions.

Highlights

Bouton’s snake-eyed skink is a small, slender skink (Fig. 1), of which the individuals of the population under discussion reach a headbody length of just under 50 mm and a tail which may be nearly 20 mm longer
Mertens (1931, 1933, 1934, 1963) viewed what is the Crytoblepharus complex (Fuhn 1970) as 36 subspecies of Ablepharus boutonii (Desjardin) (Type locality: Roche Noir [= Black Rock], Mauritius) the lizard species with the widest distribution in the world, which extended from the African East Coast, across various islands of the Indian Ocean, Australia and islands of the Pacific as far as the Easter Islands
The most important study concerning Indian Ocean populations is that of Brygoo (1986)

Summary

Introduction

Bouton’s snake-eyed skink is a small, slender skink (Fig. 1), of which the individuals of the population under discussion reach a headbody length of just under 50 mm and a tail which may be nearly 20 mm longer. The locality, Black Rock (27°08'S, 32°50'E; 2732Bc), is a coastal cliff on the Maputaland coast about 35 km south of the Mozambique border in northern KwaZulu-Natal (Fig. 2.). From this point the cliff consists of jagged, porous, exposed rock without sand cover or vegetation.

Results

Conclusion