Sungazer, Giant dragon lizard, Giant zonure
The sungazer (Smaug giganteus, syn. Cordylus giganteus ), also known as the giant girdled lizard, giant dragon lizard, or giant zonure, is the largest species of the Cordylidae, a family of lizards from sub-Saharan Africa. This threatened species is endemic to Highveld grasslands in the interior of South Africa. In 2011, it was assigned to the new genus Smaug, along with seven other species previously belonging to the genus Cordylus, based on a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Cordylidae.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous an...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Giant girdled lizard is a large lizard from South Africa. Its back is brown in color with different shades and the abdomen is yellowish to brown. Its throat and mouth are yellow. The skin of this lizard is hygroscopic and is able to absorb moisture. The tail is quite strong and covered with strong scales.
Giant girdled lizards are native to Highveld grasslands in the interior of South Africa.
Unlike most of its relatives that live among rocks, the Giant girdled lizard lives in self-excavated burrows (typically 0.4 m or 1.3 ft deep, and 1.8 m or 6 ft long) in the silty soil. This species is also known as the sungazer due to its distinctive thermoregulatory behavior; it elevates the anterior parts of the body by extending its forelimbs, usually doing so near the entrance of its burrow as if looking at the sun. Giant girdled lizards live in colonies and are active during the day. In order to protect themselves, they use their tail or pretend to be dead.
Giant girdled lizards are carnivores (insectivores). They mainly feed on various insects but occasionally eat small vertebrates and even some plants.
These lizards are ovoviviparous. They reproduce every 2-3 years and females give birth to only one or two offspring per breeding cycle.
The decline in Giant girdled lizard numbers is caused by habitat destruction, and illegal collecting for the pet and traditional medicine trades. Entire colonies of these reptiles can disappear when a patch of native grassland is converted to farmland or otherwise "developed".
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Giant girdled lizard is 677,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...