Pygopus lepidopodus at Quaama, NSW

2 Common scaly-foot at Quaama, NSW

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Identification history

Pygopus lepidopodus	23 Mar 2021	PatrickCampbell
Pygopus lepidopodus	16 Mar 2021	FionaG
Unidentified	29 Jan 2021	FionaG

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Author'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.

11 comments

JackieMiles wrote:

30 Jan 2021

Hi Fiona, Certainly looks like a snake with those smaller scales on the upper side and wider belly scales. Maybe a juvenile of one of the local species. Better wait and see what Patrick thinks.

FionaG wrote:

30 Jan 2021

Thanks Jackie.

FionaG wrote:

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.

JackieMiles wrote:

12 Feb 2021

Hi Fiona, I don't think so. The key to snakes in my Cogger (Reptiles and Amphibians of Aust) brings blind snakes out from the rest by "no enlarged ventral scales, the scales on the belly more or less equal in size to those on the back and sides". Your 3rd photo shows the belly scales are wider, though not as wide as usual on the local snakes I wouldn't have thought. So my money is still on a juvenile of one of the local elapid snakes (black, brown, white-lipped, mustard-bellied etc).

FionaG wrote:

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

FionaG wrote:

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.

JackieMiles wrote:

16 Mar 2021

Ah-hah. We have some photos of that species, and it does seem to fit. I've only ever seen them in heath though, so it is good to know they are more widespread than that. I just tried to suggest that so it could be confirmed, but I couldn't get past reptiles and frogs. I'm pretty sure that species is in the ALCW database so do you want to have a go at suggesting that and I'll confirm it.

FionaG wrote:

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.

FionaG wrote:

16 Mar 2021

Ok, just realised I can do this so will go ahead and ID that fungus. Thanks Jackie

JackieMiles wrote:

16 Mar 2021

Just tried to confirm this and couldn't. I'd suggest transferring your records to iNaturalist asap before the coastal Naturemapr sites close down (see home page for how to). Not a lot of point in adding new species to Naturemapr at this stage since we only have access for another 3 months or so.

PatrickCampbell wrote:

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.

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