Sometimes referred to as "Long-Tailed Lizards". So far I have found very little information on this genus.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Latastia | ||||
| L. boscai | Ethiopia, Eritrea, N & C Somalia, Djibouti | ?" | There are three subspecies: L. b. boscai, L. b. arencola and L. b. burii. | |
| L. carinata | Somalia (not west) and adjacent Ethiopia | Two subspecies: nominate and L. c. caeruleopunctata. | ||
| L. cherchii | C Somalia | Species first described in 1967: see EMBL database entry. | ||
| L. doriai | NW Somalia and adjacent Ethiopia, Eritrea, NW Somalia, Djibuti and adjacent Ethiopia | 12"? | Three subspecies: L. d. doriai, L. d. martensi and L. d. scorteccii. | |
| L. johnstonii | Johnston's/Malawi Long-Tailed Lizard | Central Tanzania, Malawi, E? S Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire; west to the Shaba Province), N Zambia, N Mozambique, Zimbabwe | 6-8" | Poorly known species found in moist savanna and grassland from 330 to 1000m altitude [SKDA]. Other than that is terrestrial and diurnal, little is known of its ecology or reproduction.L. johnstoni is a brownish lizard with whitish or pale blue flank spots and several bright yellow ocelli on the anterior flanks. Sexes can be distinguished in breeding season at least by the reddish-brown coloration of the males which becomes ligher posteriorly: females have a black-edged yellow vertebral stripe that runs from the neck to the base of the tail: SKDA mentions other yellow lines but it is unclear whether these apply to the females or to both sexes. Scalation details: dorsal scales strongly keeled, 39-52 rows at midbody. 11-16 preanal pores. |
| L. lanzai | Somalia: poss. Kenya and Tanzania | See EMBL database entry for further details. This is sometimes considered a subspecies of L. longicaudata. | ||
| L. longicaudata | Southern Long-Tail Lizard | Senegal, Mali, up to Sudan and Egypt (including Sinai Peninsula), and up to Ethiopia and N Somalia, Yemen, S Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, N Tanzania, Cameroon | 16" | Of all the Latastia genus, this seems to be the species most commonly imported (possibly because of its wide distribution), although little is still known about its life in the wild. They seem to be known under several common names, including African Sand Lizard, Orange Sand Lizard and even Red Sand Amevia (sic). Click here for a picture and some German text. The authors of this site note that these lizards like to climb. There are three subspecies: L. l. andersonii, L. l. longicaudata and L. l. revoili (the latter from East Africa). L. lanzai is sometimes considered a fourth. Coloration is varied, but the East African subspecies is usually medium brown to brick red in northern specimens [SKDA]. Several thin paler longitudinal lines run dorsally, crossed by a pattern of transverse black marks that give the overall impression of a tiger pattern. The black marks extend ventrolaterally onto the white lower surfaces: the ventral surfaces are usually white. Although this is the largest E African lacertid, almost 75% of its length consists of tail. This species is found in E Africa at least in either semi-desert shrubland or deciduous bushland, being fairly common. Scalation details (as given in SKDA for L. l. revoili): nostril pierced between 3-4 nasal scales, occasionally forms suture behind rostral scale. Collar: strongly serrated, posterior edge comprises 7-14 plates. Dorsal scales: smooth or faintly keeled, 55-65 rows at midbody. 11-16 preanal pores. Ventral scales: overlapping in 6 (sometimes 8) longitudinal rows, 26-29 (male) or 29-31 (female) transverse rows. Other: 22-27 lamellae beneath fourth toe, 6-9 femoral pores beneath each thigh. Reproduction: males have single enlarged preanal plate, females have small irregular plates. Egg layer: clutch size and seasonal details unknown. |
| L. ornata | Guinea-Bissau | ?" | ||
| L. siebenrocki | Guinea up to Tanzania | ?" | See EMBL database entry for details. | |
| L. taylori | Somalia | ?" | ||
For bibliography please refer to main Lacertidae page.
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