Van Dam's girdled lizard (''Smaug vandami'') is a

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 ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

in the

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

Cordylidae. The species is

endemic 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 elsew ...

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 ...

Geographic range

The type locality of ''S. vandami'' is

Gravelotte, Limpopo Gravelotte is a small town situated in the east of the Limpopo province of South Africa. Mining centre 10 km north-east of Leydsdorp and 52 km north-west of Hoedspruit. It was established in 1916 and named after the farm owned by a Pru ...

, South Africa.

Habitat

The preferred natural

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 of ''S. vandami'' are

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

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

Description

A large lizard, ''S. vandami'' may attain a snout-vent length (SVL) of . It has a triangular shaped head, and spiny

dorsal scale In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales. Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publis ...

s. The predominant colour is dark brown with fragmented yellow rings.

Behaviour

''S. vandami'' is largely solitary and hides in cracks in rocks.

Reproduction

''S. vandami'' is

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 insi ...

. From two to six young are born alive in summer. Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (''Cordylus vandami'', p. 197 + Plate 70).

Etymology

The species is named for the collector of the

type specimens In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes t ...

, Gerhardus Petrus Frederick van Dam (died 1927), who was a South African herpetologist. www.reptile-database.org. Retrieved 23 July 2015.

Common names

Other common names for ''S. vandami'' include the

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

name ''ouvolk'', meaning "old folk".

References

* FitzSimons V (1930). "Descriptions of New South African Reptilia and Batrachia, with Distribution Records of Allied Species in the Transvaal Museum Collection". ''Annals of the Transvaal Museum'' 14 (1): 20–48. (''Zonurus vandami'', new species, pp. 25–27, Figures 6–7). * Loveridge A (1944). "Revision of the African Lizards of the Family Cordylidae". ''Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College'' 95 (1): 1–118. (''Cordylus warreni vandami'', new combination, pp. 23–24). * Reissig J (2014). ''Girdled Lizards and their relatives: Natural History, Captive Care and Breeding''. Frankfurt am Main: Edition Chimaira. 249 pp. . * Stanley EL, Bates MF (2014). "Here be dragons: a phylogenetic and biogeographical study of the ''Smaug warreni'' species complex (Squamata: Cordylidae) in southern Africa". ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 172 (4): 892–909. *Stanley EL, Bauer AM, Jackman TR, Branch WR, Mouton PLFN (2011). "Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae)". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 58 (1): 53–70. (''Smaug vandami'', new combination).

External links

Photographs
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3486906 Smaug (genus) Endemic reptiles of South Africa Reptiles described in 1930 Taxa named by Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons