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Giant Girdled Lizard
The sungazer (''Smaug giganteus'', syn. ''Cordylus giganteus''), also known as the giant girdled lizard, giant dragon lizard, ouvolk, or giant zonure, is the largest species of the Cordylidae, a family of lizards from sub-Saharan Africa.Bill Branch. 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other reptiles of Southern Africa, p. 189. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. This threatened species is endemic to Highveld grasslands in the interior of South Africa. In 2011, it was assigned to the new genus '' Smaug'', along with seven other species previously belonging to the genus ''Cordylus'', based on a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Cordylidae. Appearance The sungazer is a heavily armoured species, with a typical snout–to-vent length of (exceptionally up to ), and is easily distinguishable from other cordylids by the elongated pair of occipital spines and the enlarged keeled caudal spines. Names The species is known as the sungazer because of its distinctive thermoregulatory behaviou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Smith (zoologist)
Sir Andrew Smith (3 December 1797 – 11 August 1872) was a British surgeon, explorer, ethnologist and zoologist. He is considered the father of zoology in South Africa having described many species across a wide range of groups in his major work, ''Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa''. Smith was born in Hawick, Roxburghshire. He qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh obtaining an M.D. degree in 1819, having joined the Army Medical Services in 1816. South Africa 1820–1837 In 1820 he was ordered to the Cape Colony and was sent to Grahamstown to supervise the medical care of European soldiers and soldiers of the Cape Corps. He was appointed the Albany district surgeon in 1822 and started the first free dispensary for indigent patients in South Africa. He led a scientific expedition into the interior and was able to indulge in his interests of natural history and anthropology. On several occasions, he was sent by governors on confidential missions to v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop inside eggs that remain in the mother's body until they are ready to hatch. The young of some ovoviviparous amphibians, such as ''Limnonectes larvaepartus'', are born as larvae, and undergo further metamorphosis outside the body of the mother. Members of genera ''Nectophrynoides'' and ''Eleutherodactylus'' bear froglets, not only the hatching, but all the most conspicuous metamorphosis, being completed inside the body of the mother before birth. Among insects that depend on opportunistic exploitation of transient food sources, such as many Sarcophagidae and other carrion flies, and species such as many Calliphoridae, that rely on fresh dung, and parasitoids such as tachinid flies that depend on entering the host as soon as possible, the emb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reptiles Described In 1844
Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates ( lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians (tuatara). As of March 2022, the Reptile Database includes about 11,700 species. In the traditional Linnaean classification system, birds are considered a separate class to reptiles. However, crocodilians are more closely related to birds than they are to other living reptiles, and so modern cladistic classification systems include birds within Reptilia, redefining the term as a clade. Other cladistic definitions abandon the term reptile altogether in favor of the clade Sauropsida, which refers to all amniotes more closely related to modern reptiles than to mammals. The study of the traditional reptile orders, historically combined with that of modern amphibians, is called herpetology. The earliest known proto-reptiles originate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Endemic Reptiles Of South Africa
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be ''endemic'' to that particular part of the world. An endemic species can be also be referred to as an ''endemism'' or in scientific literature as an ''endemite''. For example '' Cytisus aeolicus'' is an endemite of the Italian flora. '' Adzharia renschi'' was once believed to be an endemite of the Caucasus, but it was later discovered to be a non-indigenous species from South America belonging to a different genus. The extreme opposite of an endemic species is one with a cosmopolitan distribution, having a global or widespread range. A rare alternative term for a species that is endemic is "precinctive", which applies to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smaug (genus)
''Smaug'' is a genus of lizards in the family Cordylidae. The genus ''Smaug'' is a group of species of spiny southern African lizards, separated from the genus ''Cordylus'' in 2011 on the basis of a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Cordylidae. The type species is the giant girdled lizard, ''S. giganteus'' (formerly ''Cordylus giganteus''). Etymology The genus ''Smaug'' was named for the character Smaug, in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit'': Smaug is the name of the dragon encountered by Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien's book ''The Hobbit''. According to Tolkien the name is derived from the Old German verb ''smeugen'' – to squeeze through a hole. Like the type species, Smaug lived underground and was heavily armored. Appropriately Tolkien was born in the Free State province, South Africa, the core area of distribution of the type species. The name is masculine. ''Zonurus'', the former genus name, is from Greek ''zōnē'' 'girdle' + ''oura'' 'tail'. D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tierpark Hagenbeck
The Tierpark Hagenbeck is a zoo in Stellingen, Hamburg, Germany. The collection began in 1863 with animals that belonged to Carl Hagenbeck Sr. (1810–1887), a fishmonger who became an amateur animal collector. The park itself was founded by Carl Hagenbeck Jr. in 1907. It is known for being the first zoo to use open enclosures surrounded by moats, rather than barred cages, to better approximate animals' natural environments. History Animal and Human trading In 1863, the elder Hagenbeck began collecting exotic animals that came through Hamburg's port. By the 1870s, the trade had proved more lucrative than his fish shop, and Hagenbeck had become one of the most prominent exotic animal traders in all of Europe. In 1874, the younger Hagenbeck traveled around the world collecting animals. Among his collections, however, were also human beings whom he exhibited in "human zoos". Hagenbeck decided to exhibit Samoan and Sami people as "purely natural" populations. The Sami were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frankfurt Zoo
The Frankfurt Zoological Garden is the zoo of Frankfurt, Germany. It features over 4,500 animals of more than 510 species on more than 11 hectares. The zoo was founded in 1858 and is the second oldest zoo in Germany, after Berlin Zoological Garden. It lies in the eastern part of the Innenstadt (inner city). Bernhard Grzimek was director of the zoo after World War II from 1945 until 1974. The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) was founded in 1858 by citizens of Frankfurt to establish the Zoological Garden, which it operated until the First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin .... The city council then assumed responsibility for the zoo until 1950, when the FZS again became the zoo's development association. References Zoos in Germany Buildings and s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a private nonprofit conservation organization, and has one of the largest zoological membership associations in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships, representing more than a half million people. The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cageless exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats. For decades, the zoo housed and successfully bred giant pandas, with the largest giant panda population outside China, before the pandas were repatriated to China in 2019. With more than 4 million visitors in 2018, San Diego Zoo is the most visited zoo in the United States. Travelers have also cited it as one of the best zoos in the world. The San Diego Zoo is an accredited member of the As ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cordylus Jonesii
The Limpopo girdled lizard (''Cordylus jonesii''), also known commonly as Jones's armadillo lizard and Jones's girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa. Etymology The specific name, ''jonesii'', is in honor of a "Mr. C. R. Jones" who collected the holotype. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Cordylus jonesii'', p. 136). The type locality is the Murchison Range in Limpopo. Geographic range ''C. jonesii'' is found along South Africa's border with Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Behavior and habitat The Limpopo girdled lizard is arboreal and inhabits dry forests, especially mopane woodland. It hides under loose bark and in hollow tree limbs. Description The dorsal pattern of ''C. jonesii'' varies from red to brown to gray, with dark spots or lines. On some individuals, the lines fuse into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cordylus Tropidosternum
The East African armadillo lizard, dwarf sungazer, or tropical girdled lizard (''Cordylus tropidosternum'') is a species of arboreal or rupicolous (rock-dwelling) lizard endemic to East Africa. Habitat The preferred habitat of the East African armadillo lizard is dry forests. Geographic range ''C. tropidosternum'' ranges from the southern Kenya through Tanzania and Malawi to southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, northeast Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Behavior Dwarf sungazers are diurnal. They lay down fat reserves in preparation for the dry season. Description Tropical girdled lizards are brown above with dark brown and cream spots or thin dark bands. A conspicuous black stripe runs along each side of the neck from the ear to the shoulder. The lips, throat, and belly are cream. The tail is very spiny. Adults are in total length (including tail). Males have slightly wider heads than females (The length of a male's head is about 1.25 times the width, whereas the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CITES
CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade. It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975. Its aim is to ensure that international trade (import/export) in specimens of animals and plants included under CITES, does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. This is achieved via a system of permits and certificates. CITES affords varying degrees of protection to more than 38,000 species. , Secretary-General of CITES is Ivonne Higuero. Background CITES is one of the largest and oldest conservation and sustainable use agreements in existence. There are three working langu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Zoological Gardens Of South Africa
The National Zoological Garden of South Africa (also informally known as The Pretoria Zoo) is an zoo located in Pretoria, South Africa. It is the national zoo of South Africa, and was founded by J. W. B. Gunning in 1899. Pretoria Zoo is one of the eight largest zoos in the world and one of the most highly rated. History The farm ''Klein Schoemansdal'', the property of Z.A.R. president Stephanus Schoeman, was sold to Johannes Francois Celliers who renamed it ''Rus in Urbe''. It was acquired by the state in 1895, and the zoological garden was established at the outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899. It became the official National Zoological Gardens in 1916. After a period of management under the auspices of the South African National Research Foundation, the Pretoria Zoo today is management under the umbrella of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). Landscape Half of the zoo is situated on relatively flat ground, while the other half is located on the slope ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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