Pygopus lepidopodus
2 Common Scaly-foot at Quaama, NSW
Identify this sighting
| Pygopus lepidopodus | PatrickCampbell | 23 Mar 2021 | |
| Pygopus lepidopodus | FionaG | 16 Mar 2021 | |
| Unverified | FionaG | 29 Jan 2021 |
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User's notes
Found this reptile like thing when I opened the car door. I couldn't find a head and it was in two parts. It was the width of a little finger. Beautifully coloured, the top a coppery colour, the underside a red/brown colour with blue/black spots and between the two sides a motley, flecked mix between the two colours. Very tiny scales on top with larger transparent scales underneath.
7 comments
12 Feb 2021
Hi Jackie, I'm just wondering whether this could be a blind snake? It seems to look similar in terms of scales etc with other images you find on the internet.
12 Feb 2021
Oh, right. I also thought Mustard-belly at some point. Have sent some pics off to the museum. Hopefully they will be able to shed some light on it. Thanks Jackie
15 Mar 2021
Have heard back from the National Museum. They have identified it at A Common Scalyfoot (Pygopus lepidopodus), a type of legless lizard.
16 Mar 2021
Not sure how to go about that Jackie, or even if it would work. I posted a fungus ages ago that isn't in the ALCW data base but it remains TBC even though I have identified it. I will give it a go.
16 Mar 2021
Ok, just realised I can do this so will go ahead and ID that fungus. Thanks Jackie
23 Mar 2021
I agree with the museum's ID of Pygopus lepidopodus.
The keeled scales are the most distinctive feature that strongly suggest P. lepidopodus, which are present on the dorsal scales of this species and are visible in the last photo. In the same photo, I can just make out what I think is a partially digested flap and the smaller scales behind it, further suggesting P. lepidopodus. There are also slightly enlarged subcaudal scales visible in another photo. Colour and pattern are highly variable in this species, so whilst not reliably identifiable as P. lepidopodus, the black flecks are something that I tend to associate with this species.
It looks like this specimen has been partially digested and regurgitated, due to the mucous-like, slimy substance around much of the remains. Being a legless lizard, they readily drop their tail when they are grabbed by it, but unfortunately in this case it looks like the animal would not have survived, as I can see what looks to be exposed spinal vertebrae that the flesh has been digested from around.
The keeled scales are the most distinctive feature that strongly suggest P. lepidopodus, which are present on the dorsal scales of this species and are visible in the last photo. In the same photo, I can just make out what I think is a partially digested flap and the smaller scales behind it, further suggesting P. lepidopodus. There are also slightly enlarged subcaudal scales visible in another photo. Colour and pattern are highly variable in this species, so whilst not reliably identifiable as P. lepidopodus, the black flecks are something that I tend to associate with this species.
It looks like this specimen has been partially digested and regurgitated, due to the mucous-like, slimy substance around much of the remains. Being a legless lizard, they readily drop their tail when they are grabbed by it, but unfortunately in this case it looks like the animal would not have survived, as I can see what looks to be exposed spinal vertebrae that the flesh has been digested from around.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.893103-36.462093
- Places Quaama, NSW
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 29 Jan 2021 02:57 PM Recorded on
- FionaG Recorded by
Collections
Species information
- Pygopus lepidopodus Scientific name
- Common Scaly-foot Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 405.2m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
4 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Description
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Additional attributes