Van Dam's girdled lizard | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Cordylidae |
Genus: | Smaug |
Species: | S. vandami
|
Binomial name | |
Smaug vandami (
FitzSimons, 1930)
| |
Synonyms [2] | |
Van Dam's girdled lizard (Smaug vandami) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.
The type locality of S. vandami is Gravelotte, Limpopo, South Africa. [3]
The preferred natural habitats of S. vandami are grassland and savanna. [1]
A large lizard, S. vandami may attain a snout-vent length (SVL) of 14.5 cm (5.7 in). [4] It has a triangular shaped head, and spiny dorsal scales. The predominant colour is dark brown with fragmented yellow rings. [5]
S. vandami is largely solitary and hides in cracks in rocks. [6]
S. vandami is ovoviviparous. [2] From two to six young are born alive in summer. [6]
The species is named for the collector of the type specimens, Gerhardus Petrus Frederick van Dam (died 1927), who was a South African herpetologist. [2] [7] [8]
Other common names for S. vandami include the Afrikaans name ouvolk, meaning "old folk". [9]
Van Dam's girdled lizard | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Cordylidae |
Genus: | Smaug |
Species: | S. vandami
|
Binomial name | |
Smaug vandami (
FitzSimons, 1930)
| |
Synonyms [2] | |
Van Dam's girdled lizard (Smaug vandami) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.
The type locality of S. vandami is Gravelotte, Limpopo, South Africa. [3]
The preferred natural habitats of S. vandami are grassland and savanna. [1]
A large lizard, S. vandami may attain a snout-vent length (SVL) of 14.5 cm (5.7 in). [4] It has a triangular shaped head, and spiny dorsal scales. The predominant colour is dark brown with fragmented yellow rings. [5]
S. vandami is largely solitary and hides in cracks in rocks. [6]
S. vandami is ovoviviparous. [2] From two to six young are born alive in summer. [6]
The species is named for the collector of the type specimens, Gerhardus Petrus Frederick van Dam (died 1927), who was a South African herpetologist. [2] [7] [8]
Other common names for S. vandami include the Afrikaans name ouvolk, meaning "old folk". [9]