Common Name:Black girdled lizard, swart-skurwejantjie (Afrikaans)

 

Derivation of scientific name:

 

The genus name Cordylus Laurenti was established in 1768 and refers to the sideways swinging tail (when removed from their shelter), which is used like a club or cudgel; kordule (Greek) = club. The specific epithet ‘niger’ refers to the jet black colour of this lizard’s body.

 

The black girdled lizard belongs to the genus Cordylus, which has 21 known species and are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Cordylus niger is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, Western Cape, with an outlier population near Saldanha. The black girdled lizard is distinguished by melanistic (black) colouration and large, girdled, well-armed dorsal scales with pierced nostrils in the nasal shields.

 

Most girdled lizards are crevice species, but there are a few exceptions. The black girdled lizard is locally abundant in rocky areas from sea level up to mountain tops, including on Table Mountain. It is an agile lizard that is active during sunny weather and it often gazes in the direction of the sun, which is why they are called sonkykers (sun gazers) in Afrikaans. Another apt Afrikaans name is ouvolk (direct translation: ‘old folk’), which alludes to their ancient, crocodilian appearance. At the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden black girdled lizards are often seen just above the cultivated garden where they take shelter in cut-down Eucalyptus (blue gum) stumps.

 

Girdled lizards are popular in the pet trade and are also used for traditional medicine. The black girdled lizard is listed as Near-Threatened (NT) in the Red List (Mouton et al. 2014).

 

Description :

 

The black girdled lizard is a medium-sized lizard (~7 cm long), with a depressed head and smooth head shields. It is distinguished by its pitch or jet black colouration and large-girdled, dorsal, well-armed scales with pierced nostrils in the nasal shields. The upper (dorsal) scales are square and imbricate (like a tile roof) and are arranged in more than 22 regular rows. The lower scales (ventral) are also square and are in regular transverse series. The limbs are moderately long and have saw-edged scales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting around

 

The black girdled lizard has four short, stout legs with strong claws that are well adapted to living in rocky terrain.

 

Communicating:

 

Members of the genus Cordylidae have two types of epidermal glands – femoral and generation glands – which are used for chemical communication. Femoral glands secrete waxy material that acts as territorial markings, while generation glands are thought to be for communication with other members of the species.

 

Distribution :

 

The black girdled lizard is endemic to the extreme southwestern coastal region of the Western Cape, South Africa. Localised subpopulations are known to occur in Saldanha, Langebaan Peninsula, Jutten Island and the Cape Peninsula.

 

Habitat :

 

The black girdled lizard (Cordylus niger) is mainly confined to rocky outcrops, following mainly the quartzitic sandstone of the Cape Super Group Formation. At Saldanha they live in granitic outcrops. They can also be found in urban regions (Cape Town), for example in gardens where there is sufficient shelter. The black girdled lizard is a rock-dwelling (rupicolous) lizard, and is territorial and never ventures far from its shelter in a rock crevice, dashing back when alarmed. They take shelter in narrow rock crevices, orienting their tail to cover the rest of their body, and will inflate themselves to lock into the rock crevice when necessary.

 

Food :

 

Black girdled lizards eat mainly insects, but occasionally will take some vegetable matter.

 

SEX and LIFE CYCLE :

 

Sex :

 

The black girdled lizard (and other species in the genus) is ovoviviparous, meaning that the fertilised eggs remain inside the female’s body until they are ready to hatch and the female gives birth to live young. Breeding is during the autumn when one to three young are born. The young are immediately self-sufficient and there is no parental care. They reach maturity within three years.