| Holotype: USNM 163989, an adult male.
Paratypes: UM 16278 (male) and USNM 163990 (Juvenile). (UM = Umtali Museum, Rhodesia). Besides the type and paratypes, only 4 other specimens are known, collected by W.D. HAACKE and residing in the Transvaal Museum: DNMNH (= TM) 30822, DNMNH (= TM) 38309, DNMNH (= TM) 38310 and DNMNH (= TM) 38404. |
| After the two specimens on which the first description is based, a further 4 specimens were reported by HAACKE (1970) from the north-east Namibian-Botswana border region. A discovery in 2022 provided the first genetic data (BREDA, R.V. van (2023)).
Lacerta.de, 2025 |
Broadley, D.G. (1967) - A new species of Ichnotropis (Sauria: Lacertidae) from the Botswana-Caprivi border. - Arnoldia - National Museums of Southern Rhodesia, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3 (24): 1-5.  Haacke, W.D. (1970) - New herpetological records from South West Africa. - Annals of the Transvaal Museum, 26: 277-283. Breda, R.V. van (2023) - Herpetofaunal survey of the Khaudum–Ngamiland dispersal area in Namibia. - NWU-IR, Boloka Institutional Repository: 1-97  × An extensive Herpetofaunal survey of three under researched areas in North–eastern Namibia (all forming part of the Khaudum Ngamiland dispersal area) was conducted. The areas in question were the Nyae Nyae conservancy, Khaudum national park, and a small area of Mahango–Divundu, which borders the Okavango river approximately 75 km into the Caprivi strip. A preliminary checklist and desktop study of the areas was conducted based on known ranges and occurrences of Southern–African amphibian and reptile species, supplementing the survey. During the expedition 17 amphibian species representing 13 genera and 10 families, and 22 reptile species representing 19 genera and 12 families were encountered. Genetic sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene was done for 20 specimens to confirm their identity. Phylogenetic trees of two species and ecological niche models of four species were created, supplementing scientific knowledge regarding the herpetofauna of this part of Namibia. This study provides the first record of adult specimens of an undescribed Pyxicephalus specie, as well as the first genetic data of Ichnotropis grandiceps. Conradie, W. & Keates, C. & Greenbaum, E. & Lobón-Rovira, J. & Tolley, K.A. & Benito, M. & Vaz Pinto, P. & Breda, R.V. van & Verbrugt, L. (2025) - Systematics of African rough-scaled lizards, with description of two new species from eastern Angola (Squamata: Lacertidae: Ichnotropis PETERS, 1854). - Vertebrate Zoology, 75: 627–672. × Ichnotropis is a genus of medium-sized lacertids endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, characterised by rough head shields. The genus
currently comprises six nominal species distributed across much of southern, central, and eastern Africa. Some species are apparently
active at only certain times of the year, resulting in limited specimen collections and severely hampering research. This scarcity of
material has historically made comprehensive systematic reviews of the genus difficult and has led to the description of numerous
regional morphological variants as distinct species or subspecies. Material collected in recent years has enabled us to provide a new
phylogenetic hypothesis of Ichnotropis using two mitochondrial genes (16S and ND4) and two nuclear genes (c-mos and RAG-1).
Our phylogenetic dataset includes 56 individuals representing five of the six currently recognised species (excluding I. chapini).
Additionally, the broad geographical sampling of the widespread I. capensis group has allowed us to explore the taxonomic status of
several species and subspecies within the group. As a result, we demonstrate the monophyly of Ichnotropis in relation to other African lacertids and present the most comprehensive phylogeny of the genus to date. We also provide the first phylogenetic placements
for I. tanganicana and I. grandiceps, which allows us to validate their taxonomic statuses. Furthermore, we recovered a new cryptic
species closely related to I. grandiceps, and identified several well-supported clades within the I. capensis group, all corroborated by
multi-locus species delimitation analyses. One of these clades is described herein as a new species, while the remaining taxa of interest are discussed and highlighted for future investigation. Based on our findings, we recommend the following taxonomic revisions:
Ichnotropis longipes and I. macrolepidota should remain synonyms of I. capensis; I. bivittata pallida and I. capensis nigrescens are
treated as a junior synonyms of I. bivittata; and I. overlaeti is considered a junior synonym of I. tanganicana. Although we could not
determine the phylogenetic placement of I. chapini due to the lack of genetic material, its head morphology and scalation support its
reassignment to the I. bivittata group. Thus, it is retained as a valid species pending the availability of new material for further taxonomic actions. In conclusion, this study resolves several long-standing taxonomic issues within one of Africa’s most understudied
lacertid genera and lays a solid foundation for future research on the genus Ichnotropis.
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