The Gerrhosauridae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of lizards native to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

Habitat

Also known as plated lizards,

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the family Gerrhosauridae live in a range of

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s, from rocky crevices to sand dunes.

Description

Their form is variable, some species having four fully developed limbs, and others having vestigial hind limbs only.

Reproduction

Most species are believed to be oviparous.

Classification

Family Gerrhosauridae *Subfamily Gerrhosaurinae **Genus '' Broadleysaurus'' - rough-scaled plated lizard (1 species) **Genus '' Cordylosaurus'' - blue-black plated lizard (1 species) **Genus ''

Gerrhosaurus ''Gerrhosaurus'' is a genus of lizards native to southern and eastern Africa. Habitat Species of ''Gerrhosaurus'' are found in dry, rocky semi-open habitats. Species and subspecies The following species and subspecies are recognized as being ...

'' - (7 species) **Genus '' Matobosaurus'' - (2 species) **Genus '' Tetradactylus'' - (8 species) *Subfamily Zonosaurinae **Genus '' Tracheloptychus'' - keeled plated lizards (2 species) **Genus '' Zonosaurus'' - zonosaurs (17 species)

References

* Boulenger GA (1887). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ, Gerrhosauridæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Family "Gerrhosauridæ", pp. 119–120). * Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Family Gerrhosauridae, pp. 176–177). * Fitzinger L (1843). ''Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae.'' Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. ("Gerrhosauri", new family, p. 21). (in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

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