Scelotes bidigittatus (FitzSimons, 1930) Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink REPRODUCTION

Abstract

There are few documented reproductive records of Scelotes in southern Africa, and particularly in relation to neonate size of the Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink Scelotes bidigittatus. The only reproductive data available for the genus Scelotes in eastern southern Africa are for S. bidigittatus: 1–2 young born in late summer or early autumn; Zululand Dwarf Burrowing Skink S. arenicola: 2–4 young (43–52 mm total length) born February–March; and Mozambique Dwarf Burrowing Skink S. mossambicus: 2–3 young born in late summer (Pienaar et al. 1983; Branch 1998).

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AFRICAN HERP NEWS
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NATURAL HISTORY
NOTES
SCINCIDAE
Scelotes bidigi9atus
(FitzSimons, 1930)!
Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink
REPRODUCTION
T. J. PING
NUMBER 81 | DEC 2022
There are few documented reproductive
records of Scelotes in southern Africa, and
particularly in relation to neonate size of the
Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink Scelotes
bidigittatus. The only reproductive data
available for the genus Scelotes in eastern
southern Africa are for S. bidigittatus: 1–2
young born in late summer or early autumn;
Zululand Dwarf Burrowing Skink S. arenicola:
2–4 young (43–52 mm total length) born
February–March; and Mozambique Dwarf
Burrowing Skink S. mossambicus: 2–3 young
born in late summer (Pienaar et al. 1983;
Branch 1998).!
"
On the afternoon of 7 February 2021, at
approximately 17h39, the author unearthed a
S. bidigittatus which appeared to be gravid
(Fig. 1) from beneath a mound of concrete
embedded in a grassed lawn in St Lucia,
KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa (28°
22' 19" S, 32° 24' 51" E, QDS 2832AD; 28 m
a.s.l.). The identification of the species was
supported by the lack of forelimbs, and each
hindlimb having two minute toes (Branch
1998, Ping 2022). The skink was placed in a
container with soil from beneath the rock and
kept overnight to measure and photograph
the following morning. The record was
uploaded to iNaturalist and can be viewed at
Figure 1. Gravid adult female Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing
Skink Scelotes bidigittatus from St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal
Province, South Africa. Photo: Tyrone Ping.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/
106380564."
"
This individual was an adult female with a
partly regenerated tail and measured 71 mm
snout-vent length (SVL) + 42 mm tail length
(TL) = 113 mm in total. She gave birth to two
neonates measuring 33 mm SVL + 22 mm TL
= 55 mm total length, and 30 mm SVL + 22
mm TL = 52 mm total length (Fig. 2),
respectively. Both neonates had distinct
straw-coloured dorsolateral stripes, a pale
dorsal band with dark-edged scales, and
dark blue (nearly black) tails. Both young
were only discovered prior to release as they

26
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NOTES
NUMBER 81 | DEC 2022
were buried under the soil in the container.
None of the animals were weighed as a
suitable scale was not available. Shortly after
the measurements and photographs were
taken, the skinks were released at the
original capture site.!
"
There is very little previously reported
reproductive data available for S .
bidigittatus, with Pienaar et al. (1983) merely
mentioning that 1–2 young are born in late
summer or early autumn. Available literature
suggests that as a whole, members of the
genus Scelotes give birth to one or two
(Branch 1998), or 1–4 (Alexander & Marais
1998) offspring at a time. In this instance, the
female had a clutch size of two, with
neonates being born in February, which
confirms the mentioned timings of late
summer or early autumn (Pienaar et al. 1983)
and extends the timing of “December–
January” mentioned by Branch (1998).
Figure 2. Neonate Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skinks
Scelotes bidigittatus from St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal
Province, South Africa. Photo’s: Tyrone Ping.
Figure 3. Adult female and neonate Lowveld Dwarf
Burrowing Skinks Scelotes bidigittatus from St Lucia,
KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Photo: Tyrone Ping.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Aaron Bauer and Philip Jordaan
for their comments and suggestions on this note."
REFERENCES
Alexander G., Marais J. 1998. A Guide to the Reptiles
of Southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik.!
Branch WR. 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and Other
Reptiles of Southern Africa, 3rd edition. Cape Town,
South Africa: Struik.!
Pienaar U de V, Haacke WD, Jacobsen NHG. 1983.
The Reptiles of the Kruger National Park. Pretoria,
South Africa: National Parks Board of South Africa.!
Ping TJ. 2022. A Field Guide to Snakes and Other
Reptiles of KwaZulu-Natal. Cape Town, South Africa:
Pachydactylus Press.!
SUBMITTED BY:
TYRONE JAMES PING
7 Oak Tree Avenue, Glen Anil, KwaZulu-Natal
Province, South Africa"
E-mail: contact@tyroneping.co.za!