Reptiles Database

Cordylus giganteus SMITH, 1844

     
 

Higher Taxa

Cordylidae, Sauria (lizards

Subspecies

Common Name

Giant Girdled Lizard or Sungazer

Synonym

Cordylus giganteus SMITH 1844: 35
Zonurus derbianus GRAY 1845
Zonurus giganteus — BOULENGER 1885: 253
Cordylus giganteus — ABRAHAM 1981
Cordylus giganteus — BONETTI 2002

Location

Republic of South Africa (small scatterd populations in NE OFS, extreme W Natal and SE Transvaal)

Type locality: “Interior districts of South Africa on pinnacles of Quathlamba Mountains

Holotype

Comment

Ovoviviparous.

Largest species of the genus Cordylus with a total length up to 40 cm

References
  • Abraham, Gerhard 1981. Das Portrait: Cordylus giganteus - Riesengürtelschweif (A. Smith, 1844). Sauria (Berlin), 3 (1): 1-2.
  • Adolphs, Klaus & Tröger, Michael 1987. Lebensweise, Haltung und Zuchtproblematik des Riesengürtelschweifs Cordylus giganteus A. Smith, 1844. Herpetofauna 9 (46): 28-33.
  • Bonetti, Mathilde 2002. 100 Sauri. Mondadori (Milano), 192 pp.
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1885. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 2, Second edition. London, xiii+497 pp.
  • Fitzsimons, Vivian Frederick Maynard 1965. The Giant Girdled Lizard or Sungazer (Cordylus giganteus A. Smith). Fauna & Flora (Pretoria), 1965: 29-32.
  • Gray, J. E. 1845. Catalogue of the specimens of lizards in the collection of the British Museum. Trustees of die British Museum/Edward Newman, London: xxvii + 289 pp.
  • Groenewald, G. H. 1992. The Relocation of Cordylus giganteus in the Oranje Free State, South Africa: Pitfalls and possible Preventions Therof Jour. Herp. Ass. Afr. (40): 72-77
  • Jacobsen, N.H.G.; Newbery, R.E.; Petersen, W. 1989. On the ecology and conservation status of Cordylus giganteus in the Transvaal S. Afr. Jour. Zool. 1 (25): 61-66
  • Koch-Isenburg, L. 1977. Der Riesengürtelschweif Cordylus giganteus A. Smith aus Südafrika. Bericht Naturw. Ver. Darmstadt, (Vivarium Darmstadt Inf.), N.F., 1977: 4-5.
  • Lambiris, A.J.L. 1987. Geographical Distribution - Cordylus giganteus Jour. Herp. Ass. Afr. (33): 29-29
  • LANGERWERF, B. ; 2001. Keeping and breeding the sungazer (Cordylus giganteus) Reptiles, California, 9 (6): 58 - 65
  • Marais, Johan 1984. Notes on the giant girdled lizard Cordylus giganteus A. Smith. British Herpetological Society Bulletin (London), 10: 30-33.
  • McLachlan, Geoff R. 1986. Geographical Distribution. Reptilia: Sauria: Cordylidae: Cordylus giganteus, A. Smith. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa (Humewood), 32: 30.
  • Petersen, Wally;Newbery, Richard;Jacobsen, Niels 1985. Cordylus giganteus is alive and well and living at Rietpoort Fauna & Flora (South Africa) (42): 26-29
  • Petzold, Hans-Günter 1974. Cordylus giganteus, A. Smith, 1844, Riesengürtelschweif (Familie: Cordylidae, Gürtel- und Schildechsen). Aquarien und Terrarien (Leipzig), 21 (5): 170-171.
  • Schmidt, P. 1924. Jugendform des Riesengürtelschweifs Zonurus giganteus Smith. Blätter für Aquarien und Terrarienkunde (Stuttgart), 35: 336-337.
  • Schwier, H. 2007. Gürtelschweife - die Gattung Cordylus. Reptilia (Münster) 12 (3): 16-23
  • Schwier, H. 2007. Der Riesengürtelschweif Cordylus giganteus - einzigartig und mysteriös zugleich. Reptilia (Münster) 12 (3): 40-44
  • Schwier, H. 2007. The Giant Girdled Lizard – Cordylus giganteus. Reptilia (GB) (52):
  • Smith,A. 1844. Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa, Reptilia. Smith, Elder, and Co., London
  • Switak, Karl H. 1981. Der Riesengürtelschweif oder Südafrikanische Sonnengucker, Cordylus giganteus. Das Aquarium, 15 (136): 537-541.
  • Switak, Karl H. 1995. Girdle-tailed lizards of the genus Cordylus Reptiles 3 (6): 8-24
  • VAN WYK, J. H. 1995. The male reproduction cycle of the lizard, Cordylus giganteus. Journal of Herpetology 29 (4): 522-535
  • VAN WYK, J. H. 1994. Physiological changes during the female reproductive cycle of the vivparous lizard Cordylus giganteus (Sauria: Cordylidae). Herpetologica 50 (4): 480 - 493
  • van Wyk, Jaco C. P. and Casper Swarts 2002. Cordylus giganteus, Giant Girdled Lizard of Sungazer. behaviour. African Herp News (35):16-17
  • Welzel, Andreas 1981. Cordylus giganteus. Herpetofauna 3 (11): 17.


 
 
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