Trachylepis hoeschi, also known commonly as Hoesch's mabuya and Hoesch's skink, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Mabuyinae of the family Scincidae. The species is native to southwestern Africa.
Etymology The specific name, hoeschi, is in honor of German zoologist Walter Hoesch (1896–1961), who collected the holotype.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Mabuya hoeschi, p. 124).
Geographic range T. hoeschi is found in Angola and Namibia.
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of T. hoeschi is arid savanna, where it is found on boulders and rock outcrops,Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Mabuya hoeschi, p. 153 + Plate 52). at altitudes of .
Description Adults of T. hoeschi usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . The maximum recorded SVL is . The tail is long, about two times SVL.
Dorsally, T. hoeschi is grayish brown, with transverse bands of dark brown spots. Ventrally, it is white, except for the throat which is yellowish.
Diet T. hoeschi preys upon insects such as beetles, moths, and wasps.
Reproduction The mode of reproduction of T. hoeschi is unknown.
References
Further reading Bauer AM (2003). "On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Fitzinger 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro-Malagasy skinks". African Journal of Herpetology 52: 1–7. (Trachylepis hoeschi, new combination). Lobón-Rovira, Javier; Vaz Pinto, Pedro; Becker, François S.; Tolley, Krystal A.; Measy, John; Bennet, Bruce; de Sá, Sango; Conradie, W. (2022). "An updated herpetofaunal species inventory of Iona National Park in southwestern Angola". Check List 18 (2): 289–321. Mertens R (1954). "Neue Eidechsen aus Südwest-Afrika". Senckenbergiana 34: 175–183. (Mabuya hoeschi, new species, p. 178). (in German).