Scincidae: Trachylepis acutilabris (Peters, 1862) - Wedge-snouted Skink
The diet of the Wedge-snouted Skink (Trachylepis acutilabris) is described by Branch (1998) and Alexander & Marais (2008) as including beetles, ant-lions, wasps, flies and grasshoppers caught in sandy habitats. The wedge-snout probably facilitates foraging in loose substrate (Alexander & Marais 2008). On 26 January 2011, at 10h45 an adult T. acutilabris (approximately 60 mm SVL) was observed in the process of consuming a 10 to 20 mm solifuge (Order: Solifugae) on sandy substrate covered with leaf litter under Acacia reficiens shrubs, west of Karibib (21°59‘14.4"S and 15°43‘04.4"E) in western central Namibia. The skink grappled with the solifuge for at least 3 minutes, repeatedly dropping its prey, resuming the attack from another angle, whilst vigorously shaking and bashing the solifuge against the ground in an attempt to immobilize it. By the time I encountered this scenario the solifuge was not showing much resistance anymore and eventually succumbed to the attack, being con-sumed head first. Although skinks are known to be generalist feeders, this sighting confirms solifuge as forming part of the diet of T. acutilabris in Namibia.
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