The genus ''Cordylus'' ( Sauria: Cordylidae) includes a wide variety of species of small to medium spiny lizards from Africa, collectively called girdle-tailed lizards or girdled lizards. All are diurnal and ovoviviparous (live-bearing, without shelled eggs). Most species are rupicolous (rock-dwelling), while a few species are arboreal or live in burrows. They defend themselves with osteoderms (flat bony plates in the skin) and by quickly retreating into rock crevices or burrows. Many species live in groups, and males defend territories. Cordylids are generally listed under CITES Appendix II. They are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but trade is controlled to prevent

overexploitation Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term app ...

. Some species of ''Cordylus'' have limited ranges and may be threatened with habitat destruction or over collecting for the pet trade.

Classification

Broadley (2006) recognized 47 species in the genus ''Cordylus'', including eight species originally placed in the genus ''

Pseudocordylus ''Pseudocordylus'' is a genus of small to large girdled lizards from South Africa, commonly known as crag lizards. Six species of ''Pseudocordylus'' are known; they are distinguished from girdled lizards of the genus ''Cordylus'' by the presen ...

'' (''P. fasciatus'', ''P. langi'', ''P. melanotus'', ''P. microlepidotus'', ''P. nebulosus'', ''P. spinosus'', ''P. subviridis'', and ''P. transvaalensis'') and ''Hemicordylus capensis''. The greatest diversity of cordylids is in South Africa, with a few species found in Angola and eastern Africa as far north as Ethiopia. Other members of the Cordylidae are the

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

'' Chamaesaura'' (a group of legless lizards from southern and eastern Africa) and ''

Platysaurus ''Platysaurus'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as flat lizards for their flat backs, in the family Cordylidae. Geographic range All species in the genus ''Platysaurus'' live in isolated populations in southern Africa. They are found in ...

''. The sister group of Cordylidae is the plated lizards, family

Gerrhosauridae The Gerrhosauridae are a family of lizards native to Africa and Madagascar. Habitat Also known as plated lizards, species in the family Gerrhosauridae live in a range of habitats, from rocky crevices to sand dunes. Description Their form is va ...

. In 2011, a study based on the molecular phylogeny of the family suggested several species traditionally included in ''Cordylus'' should be moved to other genera: '' Hemicordylus'' (for ''capensis'' and ''nebulosus''), '' Karusasaurus'' (for ''jordani'' and ''polyzonus''), ''

Namazonurus ''Namazonurus'', is a genus of lizards, Common name, commonly known as Namaqua girdled lizards, in the family Cordylidae. The genus contains five species, which are Endemism, endemic to southern Africa, and feed on insects and small vertebrates. ...

'' (for ''campbelli'', ''lawrenci'', ''namaquensis'', ''peersi'' and ''pustulatus''), ''

Ninurta , image= Cropped Image of Carving Showing the Mesopotamian God Ninurta.png , caption= Assyrian stone relief from the temple of Ninurta at Kalhu, showing the god with his thunderbolts pursuing Anzû, who has stolen the Tablet of Destinies from En ...

'' (for ''coeruleopunctatus''), '' Ouroborus'' (for ''cataphractus'') and ''

Smaug Smaug () is a dragon and the main antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', his treasure and the mountain he lives in being the goal of the quest. Powerful and fearsome, he invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years prior ...

'' (for ''breyeri'', ''giganteus'', ''mossambicus'', ''regius'', ''vandami'' and ''warreni''). This classification is supported by the '' Reptile Database'' where 21 species remain in ''Cordylus''. Uetz, Peter et al. (2014). www.reptile-database.org. Genus'' Cordylus'' (''

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

''): *Angolan girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus angolensis The Angolan girdled lizard (''Cordylus angolensis''), also known as the Angolan spiny-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard in the genus ''Cordylus''. The species is endemic to Angola, as its names testify, and is ovoviviparous. Reproduction ''C. ...

'' *Maasai girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus beraduccii ''Cordylus beraduccii'', also known commonly as the Maasai girdled lizard, is a species of girdled lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is native to East Africa. Geographic range ''C. beraduccii'' is found in Kenya and Tanzania, wher ...

'' *Cape girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus cordylus ''Cordylus cordylus'', the Cape girdled lizard, is a medium-sized lizard indigenous to the southern Cape region of South Africa, where it inhabits crags, rocky outcrops and mountain summits. They evade predators by wedging themselves firmly in ro ...

'' *Rooiberg girdled lizard, '' Cordylus imkeae'' *Limpopo girdled lizard, ''

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 na ...

'' *Machadoe's girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus machadoi Machadoe's girdled lizard (''Cordylus machadoi'') is a flattened girdled lizard from southwestern Angola and northwestern Namibia. They are found as solitary individuals or in pairs on rock outcrops in arid savannah. It can be identified, alo ...

'' *Coastal spiny-tailed lizard, ''

Cordylus macropholis ''Cordylus macropholis'', the large-scaled girdled lizard, is a small (55-77 mm) lizard endemic to the west coast of South Africa. They spend most of their time on and around a single plant species, ''Euphorbia caput-medusae'' which only o ...

'' *Marungu girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus marunguensis ''Cordylus marunguensis'', the Marungu girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. References Cordylus Reptiles of the Democratic Republic ...

'' *McLachlan's girdled lizard, '' Cordylus mclachlani'' *Mecula girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus meculae ''Cordylus meculae'', the Mecula girdled lizard, is a third species from the Rhodesian girdled lizard complex, and was described from Mount Mecula in northern Mozambique. It lives in granite outcrops of montane grasslands and dry miombo The Mio ...

'' *Dwarf girdled lizard, '' Cordylus minor'' *Kaokoveld girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus namakuiyus ''Cordylus namakuiyus'', the Kaokoveld girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in Angola. References

Cordylus Reptiles of Angola Endemic fauna of Angola Reptiles described in 2 ...

'' *Black girdled lizard, '' Cordylus niger'' Black girdled lizard 2

*Nyika girdled lizard, '' Cordylus nyikae'' *Oelofsen's girdled lizard, '' Cordylus oelofseni'' *N’Dolondolo girdled lizard, '' Cordylus phonolithos'' *Rhodesian girdled lizard, '' Cordylus rhodesianus'' *Ethiopian girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus rivae ''Cordylus rivae'', the Ethiopian girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in Ethiopia. References Cordylus Reptiles of Ethiopia Endemic fauna of Ethiopia Reptiles described i ...

'' *East African spiny-tailed lizard, ''

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 a ...

'' *Ukinga girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus ukingensis The Ukinga girdled lizard (''Cordylus ukingensis'') is a poorly known species of girdled lizard from central Tanzania. They are rupicolous (rock-dwelling) and feed on small arthropods. The dorsal coloration is red-brown with scattered dark mo ...

'' *Transvaal girdled lizard, ''

Cordylus vittifer The Transvaal girdled lizard or Reichenow's spiny-tailed lizard (''Cordylus vittifer'') is a very flattened girdled lizard from northeastern South Africa, Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and former ...

'' '' Nota bene'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Cordylus''. Formerly assigned in ''Cordylus'' ('' sensu lato''): *species in the genus '' Hemicordylus'' *species in the genus '' Karusasaurus'' *species in the genus ''

'' * Blue-spotted girdled lizard, ''Ninurta coeruleopunctatus'' *

Armadillo girdled lizard The armadillo girdled lizard (''Ouroborus cataphractus''), www.reptile-database.org. also commonly known as the armadillo lizard, the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, and the golden-armadillo lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. ...

, ''Ouroborus cataphractus'' *species in the genus ''

'' *species in the genus ''

References

External links

Tallbo
{{Taxonbar, from=Q536460 Lizard genera Taxa named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti

Classification

References

Further reading

External links