Lost species back from the brink
Until now, the Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard (Nucras caesicaudata) was thought to be a lost species.
Image: Endangered Wildlife Trust
IN a twist worthy of a wildlife whodunit, a team of Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) researchers has pulled off a remarkable rediscovery - a lizard species that hasn’t been officially seen in more than half a century is back on the record.
Meet the Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard (Nucras caesicaudata), a small reptile with a big mystery.
First described in 1972, the species was known from a flurry of sightings and collections made between 1966 and 1971 in parts of Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique. Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.
For 53 years, there were no confirmed records. The silence earned the lizard a “Data Deficient” listing on the IUCN Red List and a spot on re:Wild’s list of “lost” species—animals that have seemingly slipped through the cracks of time. Until now
In early December 2025, during a series of rapid biodiversity assessments in southern Mozambique, EWT researchers struck gold. Working in collaboration with Mozambique’s Administração Nacional das Áreas de Conservação (ANAC), the Maputo Natural History Museum, and Peace Parks Foundation, the team captured and photographed a living Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard in Banhine National Park.And that wasn’t the only surprise.
The rediscovery also extends the species’ known range to Zinave National Park, where the team had already spotted (but frustratingly failed to catch on camera) a second individual during surveys in November 2025.
The confirmed sightings prove that the species is still hanging on—and they open the door to a fresh conservation assessment. Researchers collected a tissue sample to help untangle the lizard’s genetic story and clarify its place within the Nucras family tree.
More surveys are planned to find out just how far this elusive reptile’s population stretches. The comeback was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada), through the Restoring African Rangelands Project led by Conservation International.
For now, the Blue-tailed Sandveld Lizard has stepped out of the shadows and back into the spotlight—reminding us that nature still has a few surprises up its sleeve.