Van Dam's girdled lizard
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Endemic, SVL 110-120 mm, max SVL 145 mm.
A large lizard with a flattenend body and triangular head. The nasals are separated by the rostral and the frontonasal. There are four occipitals (not very spinose) that may be separated in the middle by 1-4 smaller scales. The dorsal scales are spiny, in mostly 27-29 transverse rows. The smooth ventral scales are in 12-14 longitudinal rows. There is a pair of enlarged preanal plates. Males have 10-17 (usually 12-14) femoral pores on each thigh. The tail has whorls of large, spiny scales. The back is dark reddish-brown with up to six fragmented yellow crossbars, extending from behind the head onto the tail. The head is uniform dark brown, sometimes with pale edges to the head shilds. The flanks are grey-brown to yellowish with irregular bars, and the belly dirty yellow-brown with scattered blotches. The throat is yellowish with brown chevrons. The tail is banded yellow and dark brown. Biology and breeding : A shy and solitary species (occasionally found in pairs), inhabiting large rock cracks in shaded rock outcrops.From 2-6 (usually 3-4) are born in summer. Habitat : Prefers rocky outcrops in mesic savannah. Range : Found in N. Province and eastern escarpment of Mpumalanga, possibly extending into Mozambique.