The Large Psammodromus lizard is a long, slender lizard which has incredible agility and speed. Their tails are very long and slim sometimes up to twice the length of the body, it’s limbs are also long and thin allowing short burst of high speed. It’s head is slightly pointed.
The lizard’s back is a soft milk-chocolate brown colour and there are two creamy -yellow stripes running down each flank. The back legs up to the base of the tail are a soft rust-orange colour. The body scales are somewhat ‘jagged’ keeled, pointed and almost upturned on each scale end.
Their subtle colouration camouflages them in the habitats they frequent, against the soil and dried vegetation under shrubs in forests, woodland or more open scrubland. They may be seen out in the open, but generally stick fairly close to shrubs that they can hunt through and use as cover and shelter.
Psammodromus lizards are very agile and climb nimbly through shrubs and hedges, sometimes giving away their position as they rustle through dry leaves.
This species adapts readily to a variety of habitats from sea level up to around 2600m in altitude in the warmer southern areas of their distribution range.
Their diet consists mainly of arthropods – beetles, spiders, grasshoppers and ants, they will also eat other small lizards and fruit or seeds.
