Reproductive Cycle of the Spotted Sand Lizard, Pedioplanis Lineoocellata (Squamata: Lacertidae) from Southern Africa‪.‬

Abstract. -- The reproductive cycle of the spotted sand lizard, Pedioplanis lineoocellata, is described from histological examination of gonadal material. Reproduction is seasonal and mainly confined to summer. Males have a testicular cycle in which spermiogenesis occurred primarily in December-February. Females with enlarged ovarian follicles ( 4 mm length) occurred January-February and October. The presence of females with corpora lutea from a previous clutch and yolk deposition for a subsequent clutch suggests more than one clutch can be produced in the same reproductive season. Mean clutch size for 22 females with enlarged ovarian follicles was 6.8 [+ or -] 2.0 SD, range: 2-11. Two eggs is a new minimum clutch size and 11 is a new maximum clutch size for P. lineoocellata. The smallest reproductively active male measured 42 mm SVL and the smallest reproductively active female measured 50 mm SVL. **********