Added 7 December 2025.
Greater Legless Skinks, Lance Skinks
The genus Acontias is a genus of legless lizards found mostly in southern Africa, with one species found in east Africa. Former species found in Sri Lanka have now been reassigned to Nessia, those from Madagascar to Paracontias. A considerable number of new species have been added since 2010, increasing the genus from formerly 8 species to currently 24-26.
Boulenger gives the characteristics of the genus as follows: palatine bones not meeting on the median line of the palate, which is toothless. Teeth conical. Eye small, with transparent lower eyelid; upper eyelid not developed. Ear hidden or just distinguishable. Nostril pierced in the large rostral shield, with the posterior border of which it is connected by a long straight horizontal suture; no supranasals; no prefrontals or frontoparietals. Body very elongate; limbs rudimentary or absent.
Branch described these as burrowing and being found under stones or dead logs in loose soil, rarely drinking from standing water but apparently obtaining most of their moisture from the surrounding soil or their food. They are viviparous. Prey is small invertebrates, but larger species may take other burrowing reptiles.
The systematics of the genus still seems to be in something of a flux. A. litoralis (Coastal Legless Skink) and A. tristis are now considered synonyms of A. lineatus. A. poecilus is likewise now considered a synonym of A. plumbeus.
A few of the genus are kept in the herpetocultural hobby, principally A. percivali, Percival’s Legless Skink, which seems to be available at times. Rogner has care details for A. meleagris, A. percivali occidentalis [now considered a full species], and A. plumbeus. The burrowing propensities of these lizards suggests that they are best suited to specialists.
|
QUICK INDEX |
||
|
A. albigularis, White-Throated Legless Skink |
A. aurantiacus, Golden Blind Legless Skink |
|
|
A. breviceps, Shorthead Lance Skink, Short-Headed Legless Skink |
A. cregoi, Crego's Legless Skink |
A. fitzsimonsi, Fitzsimon’s Legless Skink |
|
A. gariepensis, Mier Kalahari Legless Skink |
A. gracilicauda, Slender-Tailed Lance Skink |
A. jappi, Japp’s Burrowing Skink |
|
A. kgalagadi, Kalahari Burrowing Skink, Kgalagadi Legless Skink |
A. lineatus, Lined Lance Skink, Striped Legless Lizard |
|
|
A. meleagris, Linnaeus' Lance Skink, Cape Legless Skink |
A. namaquensis, Namaqua Lance Skink |
|
|
A. occidentalis, Western Burrowing Skink, Savanna Legless Skink |
A. orientalis, Eastern Striped Blindworm, Eastern Cape Legless Skink |
A. parietalis, Eastern Striped Blindworm, Eastern Cape Legless Skink |
|
A. percivali, Percival's Legless Skink |
A. plumbeus, Giant Lance Skink, Giant Legless Skink |
A. richardi, Richard’s Legless Skink |
|
A. rieppeli, Wood-Bush Legless Skink |
A. subtaeniatus, Stripe-Bellied Legless Skink |
|
|
A. wakkerstroomensis, Wakkerstroom Legless Skink |
|
|
|
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
|
Acontias |
||||
|
White-Throated Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa |
|
|
|
|
Golden Blind Legless Skink |
S Botswana, S Zimbabwe, S Mozambique, Republic of South Africa (NE Transvaal, N Zululand) |
8" |
Description: rostral not longer than the other head-shields together; 12 scales round the body; two azygous shields on the head, behind the rostral. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1910] |
|
|
A. a. aurantiacus |
|
|
|
|
|
A. a. bazarutoensis |
|
|
|
|
|
A. a. carolinensis |
|
|
|
|
|
A. a. fitzsimonsi |
|
Republic of South Africa |
|
Now considered full species. |
|
A. a. parietalis |
|
Mozambique (Inhaca Island) |
|
Now considered full species. |
|
|
E Zimbabwe |
|
Described in 1996-7: see Reptile Database entry. |
|
|
Shorthead Lance Skink, Short-Headed Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (E Cape, E Transvaal) |
SVL 13-17 cm, max SVL approx. 20 cm |
Branch described this as a rare species, potentially endangered by afforestation by pine plantations. It prefers montane grasslands. Description: broad head, rounded snout, slender body. Scalation details: lower eyelids opaque, each usually with 3 suboculars. Tail: cylindrical, with middle row of enlarged subcaudals. Coloration: body olive to olive-brown, with scales spotted with dark brown to black; belly light olive-yellow, with spotted scales; in juveniles, belly is creamy-coloured and plain. [SOURCE: Branch] |
|
|
Crego's Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (N Transvaal) |
|
Description: rostral not longer than the other head-shields together; 16 scales round the body; three azygous shields on the head, behind the rostral. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1910] |
|
|
Fitzsimon's Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa |
|
|
|
|
Mier Kalahari Legless Skink |
SW Botswana, Namibia, Republic of South Africa (N Cape) |
|
|
|
|
Slender-Tailed Lance Skink, Thin-Tailed Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (Little Namaqualand, E Cape, Orange Free State, S Transvaal) |
SVL 20-23 cm, max SVL 26 cm |
Found in mesic thicket, grassland, and sandy regions. Branch notes a preference for compact moist soils. Description: broad head, rounded snout and slender body. Tail: thin and tapering. Coloration: body varies from pale golden-olive to olive to grey-brown; body scales always dark-edged, creating a speckled appearance. [SOURCE: Branch] |
|
|
Japp’s Burrowing Skink |
E Angola, W Zambia |
|
|
|
|
Kalahari Burrowing Skink, Kgalagadi Legless Skink |
E Angola, W Namibia, Botswana (Kalahari), Republic of South Africa (N Transvaal, N Cape) |
|
Formerly considered as Typhlosaurus lineatus (lineatus). |
|
|
Lined Lance Skink, Striped Legless Skink |
S Namibia, Republic of South Africa (W/N Cape, Little and Great Namaqualand) |
SVL 15 cm, TL approx 18.5 cm |
Description: snout subcuneiform, much depressed, its extremity strongly projecting beyond the labial margin, flat inferiorly; ear hidden. No limbs. Scalation details: rostral enormous, covering the greater part of the snout; mental not reaching posteriorly beyond the rostral; frontonasal and frontal subequal in size, together shorter than the rostral; two supraoculars; three supraciliaries, first very large; interparietal much narrower than the frontal, as broad as the parietal, as long as the frontal, nearly as broad as long; none of the labials entering the eye, which is minute. 14 scales round the middle of the body, those of the two vertebral series slightly broader than the others. A single, very large preanal plate. Coloration: whitish, with black lines following the longitudinal series of scales. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1887] |
|
|
A. l. lineatus |
|
Republic of South Africa (, S Namibia |
|
Description: eye concealed; four chin shields bordering the mental; 14 scale rows around midbody. Coloration: dark dorsum and pale ventrum. The species is similar to Acontias jappi, but distinct in aspects of pholidosis. [SOURCE: Wagner, Broadley and Bauer 2012] |
|
A. l. grayi |
|
Republic of South Africa (vicinity of Graafwater in SW Cape) |
SVL 12 cm |
See note in Reptile Database entry for A. lineatus. Differs from A. lineatus in the following points: frontal longer than prefrontal and than interparietal, which latter shield is a little broader than long. Usually 5 supralabials. Coloration: pale brown, with a purplish band across the hinder part of each dorsal scale. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1887, Branch] |
|
A. l. tristis |
|
Republic of South Africa (N Cape) |
|
Considered a full species by some authorities: not currently recognised as either a valid species or subspecies by the Reptile Database. Differs from the two other subspecies in the following details. Scalation details: 4 supralabials. Coloration: as per nominate subspecies. [SOURCE: Branch] |
|
|
Republic of South Africa |
|
Formerly considered a subspecies of A. meleagris. |
|
|
Linnaeus' Lance Skink, Cape Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (W & E Cape) |
SVL 20-23 cm, max SVL 25 cm |
Description: head conical; snout obtuse, projecting; ear hidden; no limbs. Scalation details: rostral enormous, covering the greater part of the snout; mental enormous, its posterior border reaching to below the eye; frontonasal hardly half as long as the rostral, much shorter than the frontal, which is broader than long; three supraoculars, first about as large as the two others together; four supraciliaries; interparietal much narrower than the frontal, as broad as long or longer than broad; as broad as or narrower than the parietals; none of the labials entering: the orbit. 16 to 20 scales round the middle of the body, those of the two vertebral series broader than the others. A single, very large preanal plate. Tail: length of the tail not more than one fifth of the total. Coloration: olive-brown above, yellowish inferiorly; or yellowish or pale brown above, each dorsal scale with a dark brown spot; these spots may be confluent and form six longitudinal streaks. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1887] |
|
|
|
Angola |
|
Described in 2023: see Reptile Database entry for details. |
|
|
Namaqua Lance Skink |
Republic of South Africa (N Cape) |
|
Formerly considered a subspecies of A. gracilicauda: differs from latter in the following details. Scalation details: 158-179 ventrals. Coloration: body pale olive-brown, with dark scale margins. [SOURCE: Branch] |
|
|
Western Burrowing Skink, Savanna Legless Skink |
S Angola, Namibia, Republic of South Africa (Limpopo), Zimbabwe |
|
Formerly considered a subspecies of A. percivali or A. plumbeus. |
|
|
Eastern Striped Blindworm, Eastern Cape Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (E Cape) |
|
Formerly considered a subspecies of A. meleagris. |
|
|
Maputaland Legless Skink |
S Zimbabwe, S Mozambique inc. Inhaca Island, S Botswana |
|
Formerly considered a subspecies of A. aurantiacus. |
|
|
Percival's Legless Skink, Teita Limbless Skink |
SE Kenya, NE Tanzania. |
SVL 18-22 cm; max SVL approx 24 cm (m), 25.5 cm (f) |
In recent years this species has become available in the pet trade. The Reptile Database does not recognise the subspecies listed here. |
|
|
A. p. percivali |
|
|
|
|
|
A. p. tasmani |
|
|
|
|
|
Giant Lance Skink, Giant Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (N & E Transvaal extending to coastal N Natal), Swaziland, S Mozambique , E Zimbabwe (isolated relict populations) |
SVL 25-35 cm; max SVL 49 cm |
This is the world’s largest legless skink. It is distinguished from A. meleagris by the larger size of the first supraocular, which considerably exceeds that of the two others together, the very large size of the body, and the uniform black coloration. Found in forested areas, where it prefers accumulated leaf litter and humic soils in damp situations. Branch notes the behaviour of flattening its neck when disturbed. Prey includes large invertebrates and also frogs and other small vertebrates. Again, Branch notes that captive-born individuals settle well in captivity. Description: stout body; elongate snout; broad head. Scalation details: lower eyelids opaque; 2-3 (usually 2) suboculars. Tail: cylindrical. Coloration: body blue-black to black; snout often steel grey; belly paler. Reproduction: female gives birth to 2-14 babies in March-April, 10-12 (nearly 13) cm TL. [SOURCE: Boulenger 1887, Branch] |
|
|
Richard’s Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (Soutpansberg) |
|
|
|
|
Wood-Bush Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (N Transvaal) |
SVL 14-17 cm; SVL 18.5 cm |
Formerly considered the sole member of the separate genus Acontophiops: see Reptile Database entry for details. Usually found singly under stones on rocky hillsides. Description: stout-bodied; external ear openings are hidden. Scalation details: immovable lower eyelids, each with an oval, semi-transparent window; 2 supraciliaries; single enlarged anal plate. Tail: short and blunt. Coloration: body yellow- to creamy-white; thin, dark brown to black stripes on back and belly; head and tail usually darker than body. [SOURCE: Branch] |
|
|
|
Zambia |
|
Known only from the type specimen: see Reptile Database entry. |
|
|
Stripe-Bellied Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa (N Transvaal) |
|
Formerly considered a subspecies of A. kgalagadi. |
|
|
Wakkerstroom Legless Skink |
Republic of South Africa |
|
|
|
"Revised List of the South African Reptiles and Batrachians, with Synoptic Tables, special reference to the specumens wm the South African Museum, and Descriptions of New Species", G A Boulenger, Annals of the South African Museum 5, 1910.
“A New Acontine Skink from Zambia (Scincidae: Acontias Cuvier, 1817)”, Philipp Wagner, Donald G Broadley, Aaron M Bauer, Journal of Herpetology 46(4), 19 December 2012. Describes A. lineatus. (Abstract read only).
Back to Skinks | Lizards
| Reptiles | Amphibians
| Back to Herpetology | Back
to Home Page