Descriptions and keys to species

Here are some descriptions of C.tropidosternum. It begins with the first description from 1869 and ends with a revision of the family Cordylidae in 1944.

Here is the first description of Zonurus tropidosternum. by COPE E.D., 1869

Here is one from 1943, "The lizards of South Africa" by Vivian F. Fitzsimons, July 1943

"Revision of the African lizards of the family Cordylidae", by ARTHUR LOVERIDGE, Nov. 1944

Here are some pages to help you to decide what kind of Cordylus specie you have.

Keys to the genus CORDYLUS, some keys to decied if it is a Cordylus tropidosternum or another Cordylus species.

An almost complete table about all Cordylus species, you have to know about how to count scales and where, but there are explanations about the head plates below here. This synopsis is made of Loveridge,1944.

Keys to decide if it is Cordylus,Gerrosaurus or Platysaurus specie. Also some explanations about the plates of the head.

Table of plates of C.tropidosternum by ARTHUR LOVERIDGE and explainations to the different plates of the head, what is the meaning of frontonasal etc, you can find here.

Drawings of head from three different angels. Good to use when looking at the different plates.

Cordylus tropidosternum (Cope, 1869)

Cordylus tropidosternum tropidosternum (Cope, 1869)

1869 Zonurus tropidosternum Cope
1889 Zonurus frenatus Pfeffer
1934 Zonurus parkeri Cott
1943 Cordylus tropidosternum - Fitzsimons
1944 Cordylus cordylus tropidosternum - Loveridge
1988 Cordylus tropidosternum tropidosternum - Branch

Cordylus tropidosternum jonesii (Boulenger, 1891)

1891 Zonurus jonesii Boulenger
1930 Zonurus cordylus jonesii - Power
1943 Cordylus jonesii - Fitzsimons
1944 Cordylus cordylus jonesii - Loveridge
1988 Cordylus tropidosternum jonesii - Branch

Klasse Reptilia

Ordnung Sauria

Familie Cordylidae 

Unterfamilie Cordylinae

Cordylus LAURENTI, 1768 Cordylus angolensis (BOCAGE, 1895)
Cordylus aridus MOUTON & VAN WYK, 1994
Cordylus campbelli (FITZSIMONS, 1938)
Cordylus cataphractus BOIE, 1828
Cordylus cloetei MOUTON & VAN WYK, 1994
Cordylus coeruleopunctatus (HEWITT & METHUEN, 1913)
Cordylus cordylus (LINNAEUS, 1758)
Cordylus giganteus SMITH, 1844
Cordylus imkeae MOUTON & VAN WYK, 1994
Cordylus jordani (PARKER, 1936)
Cordylus lawrenci (FITZSIMONS, 1939)
Cordylus macropholis (BOULENGER, 1910)
Cordylus mclachlani MOUTON, 1986
Cordylus minor FITZSIMONS, 1943
Cordylus namaquensis (METHUEN & HEWITT, 1914)
Cordylus niger CUVIER, 1829
Cordylus oelofseni MOUTON & VAN WYK, 1990
Cordylus peersi (HEWITT, 1932)
Cordylus polyzonus SMITH, 1838
Cordylus pustulatus (PETERS, 1862)
Cordylus rhodesianus (HEWITT, 1933)
Cordylus rivae (BOULENGER, 1896)
Cordylus tasmani (POWER, 1930)
Cordylus tropidosternum (COPE, 1869)
Cordylus ukingensis (LOVERIDGE, 1932)
Cordylus vittifer (REICHENOW, 1887)
Cordylus warreni (BOULENGER, 1908)
Cordylus warreni warreni (BOULENGER, 1908)
Cordylus warreni barbertonensis (VAN DAM, 1921)
Cordylus warreni breyeri (VAN DAM, 1921)
Cordylus warreni depressus (FITZSIMONS, 1930)
Cordylus warreni laevigatus (FITZSIMONS, 1933)
Cordylus mossambicus FITZSIMONS, 1958
Cordylus warreni perkoensis (FITZSIMONS, 1930)
Cordylus regius BROADLEY, 1962
Cordylus vandami (FITZSIMONS, 1930)

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