The Transvaal girdled lizard or Reichenow's spiny-tailed lizard (''Cordylus vittifer'') is a very flattened girdled lizard from northeastern

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

, and southeastern

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

. It prefers rock outcrops in open

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

and feeds on small

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

s, especially

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

Description

This species grows to about 95 mm long from snout to vent. Femoral pores are absent from females in some populations. Transvaal girdled lizards are distinguished from most other girdled lizards by elongation of the first row of dorsal scales directly behind the head. These scales are approximately twice the length from base to tip than the following dorsal scales on the neck. The dorsal coloration is variable—uniform straw brown to dark brown or with irregular dark spots and orange-yellow flanks. A pale stripe often runs down the middle of the back. A population in the northeastern Free State, South Africa has distinct dark lateral stripes and may represent a distinct species.

Relationships

The Transvaal girdled lizard is closely related to Machadoe's girdled lizard (''Cordylus machadoi'') from northwestern

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

. Both species have an elongate first row of dorsal scales. Machadoe's girdled lizard is uniform yellow brown above and paler below. The head is dark brown with pale lips. The pale vertebral stripe found in the Transvaal girdled lizard is not present.

Pet trade

Falling prey to a sand snake Specimens labeled as Transvaal girdled lizards are exported from

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

. Most individuals are not ''C. vittifer'', but in fact Limpopo girdled lizards (''Cordylus jonesii''). The Limpopo girdled lizard can be quickly distinguished from ''C. vittifer'' by its rounded, not flattened, body. The Limpopo girdled lizard also lacks the elongate first row of dorsal scales.

References

* Branch, B., 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing, Sanibel Island, Florida, 399 pp. * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2997201 Cordylus Lizards of Africa Reptiles of Botswana Reptiles of Eswatini Reptiles of South Africa Reptiles described in 1887 Taxa named by Anton Reichenow