Tropical girdled lizard
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SVL 60 - 75 mm, max SVL 88 mm
This small, round-bodied girdled lizard does not have a flattenend head, and its head scales are rough and keeled. The nasals are in contact, or are separated by the rostral and fronto- nasal. There are six occipitals. The dorsal scales are very large, strongly-keeled and in 22-27 transverse. The lateral scales are separated by granular interspaces. The ventrals are smooth ( with the outer rows keeled in the typical race), and in 12-14 rows. There is a pair of enlarged preanal plates, and both sexes have 6-9 femoral pores on each thigh. The tail has whorls of very large spines. The back and flanks are a dirty straw colour, grey-brown or dark brown, and sometimes uniform but more often irregular blotched in dark brown, with off-white flecks along the backbone. There is a dark brown to black lateral band from the neck to the groin. The belly is off-white to straw-yellow. The femoral pores are yellow. Biology and breeding : These lizards lives under loose bark, in hollow logs of trees, and in tree stumps. It is usaully very shy and secretive. It feeds on moths and spiders, and is very fond of winged termites. It lays down fat reserves to tide it over the dry winter season. Usually two (but aometimes up to four) young (60-70mm TL) sre born in midsummer. Habitat : Dry lowveld, particularly mopane savannah. Range : E.African lowlands, south to the N.Province, Mpumalanga lowveld and adjacent regions. Subspecies : There are two races, and both occur in the region. C.t.tropidosternum is larger (up to 88mm SVL), and the 3-4 outer rows of ventrals are keeled, it is found in E.Africa, reaching its southernmost limit in E.Zimbabwe. C.t.jonesi is a small race ( up to 75mm SVL), and all its ventrals are smooth, this southern race occurs in N.Province, E.Botswana, Mpumalanga, N.Zululand and S.Mozambique.