Namazonurus campbelli

Campbell's girdled lizard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Cordylidae
Genus: Namazonurus
Species: N. campbelli
Binomial name
Namazonurus campbelli
(FitzSimons), 1938
Synonyms

Zonurus campbelli (FITZSIMONS 1938) Cordylus campbelli (FITZSIMONS 1943) Cordylus campbelli (ADOLPHS 2006) Namazonurus campbelli STANLEY et al. 2011

The Campbell's girdled lizard (Namazonurus campbelli ) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae, is a small, girdled lizard endemic to Namibia. It is often mistaken for the more common Herero girdled lizard Namazonurus pustulatus as they both are similar in size and have flattened bodies. It lives in rock crevices and cracks on dry mountain slopes

Name

"Zonurus" refers to girdle-tailed and "campbelli" refers to Mr Campbell, the owner of the Farm "Barby" where the type specimen was discovered.[1]

Description

This lizard has a spiky appearance, the caudal scales are strongly keeled and spinose, and the spines are longest on the flanks. The head is a darker brown colour and the back is a chestnut to light brown covered with smallish yellow spots with patchy dark-brown crossbars that sometimes bear a dark band to the centre. The belly is off-white. Size: Body length is 60 to 75 mm. Max SVL 79mm.[2]

It can be differentiated from Namazonurus namaquensis which has a well-marked dark streak on side of head and two narrow streaks along sides of body(absent in N.campbelli); no pale spots down middle of back (present in N.campbelli).[3]

Ovoviviparous[4]

Distribution and habitat

This species has a restricted distribution 25 km east of Helmeringhausen area in Namibia. It is only known from Lovedale, Barby, and Kunjas Farms. The distribution area is approximately 6,746 km².[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fitzsimons, V.F.M. "Transvaal Museum Expedition to South-West Africa and Little Namaqualand, May to August 1937. Reptiles and Amphibians". Annals of the Transvaal Museum: 189–190.
  2. ↑ "Campbell's Girdled Lizard". Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Fitzsimons, V.F.M. "Transvaal Museum Expedition to South-West Africa and Little Namaqualand, May to August 1937. Reptiles and Amphibians". Annals of the Transvaal Museum: 189–190.
  4. ↑ "Namazonurus campbelli". Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "IUCN: Cordylus campbelli". Retrieved 13 November 2014.


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