NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Pedioplanis branchi Childers, Kirchhof & Bauer, 2021
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Figure 8; Life photographs of representative individuals of Pedioplanis branchi sp. nov. highlighting color pattern variation within the species. (a.) Lateral and (b.) dorsal whole body images of an adult specimen from the Chuos Mountains (Chuosberg) (SK376.2014; not included in study), note the dense, dark speckling on the dorsum, and bold dark lateral markings. (c.) Dorsal and (d.) lateral whole body images of an adult specimen (SK402.2014; not included in study) from the northward extension of the Swakop River Canyon, note the more uniformly gray and red dorsum lacking speckling and fainter yellow spots along the flanks. Lateral (e.) head and (f.) whole body images of an adult specimen from the northward extension of the Swakop River Canyon; note the black, vertical bar beneath the lower eyelid, the bold, dark lateral markings on the body, and the distinct longitudinal row of yellow spots along the flanks.
Childers JL, Kirchhof S, Bauer AM (2021) Lizards of a different stripe: phylogenetics of the Pedioplanis undata species complex (Squamata, Lacertidae), with the description of two new species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 97(1): 249-272. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.97.61351 · CC BY 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
Pedioplanis branchi is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Namibia. It is named after the British-born South African herpetologist William Roy Branch.
Pedioplanis branchi measure 42–50 mm (1.7–2.0 in) in snout–vent length.
Wikipedia contributors, Pedioplanis branchi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T14:42:48.445295+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pedioplanis branchi Childers, Kirchhof & Bauer, 2021
- Name authority
- Childers, Kirchhof & Bauer, 2021
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Lacertidae
- Genus
- Pedioplanis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderAutarchoglossa
- familyLacertidae
- genusPedioplanis
- speciesPedioplanis branchi Childers, Kirchhof & Bauer, 2021
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pedioplanis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Kaokoland Sand LizardPedioplanis gaerdesi (Mertens, 1954) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pedioplanis haackei Conradie, Measey, Branch & Tolley, 2012 | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pedioplanis huntleyi Conradie, Measey, Branch & Tolley, 2012 | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Reddish Sand LizardPedioplanis rubens (Mertens, 1954) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Plain Sand LizardPedioplanis undata (Smith, 1838) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Karoo Sand LizardPedioplanis laticeps (Smith, 1845) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Common Sand Lizard [pulchella]Pedioplanis lineoocellata (Duméril & Bibron, 1839) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pedioplanis mayeri Childers, Kirchhof & Bauer, 2021 | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pedioplanis serodioi Parrinha, Marques, Heinicke, Khalid, Parker, Tolley, Childers, Conradie, Bauer & Ceríaco, 2021 | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Husab LizardPedioplanis husabensis | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Eremias inornata Roux, 1907 Roux, 1907 | ambiguous synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Pedioplanis&species=branchi Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:8KPJW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.