About Cordylus niger Cuvier, 1829
Common Name and Size
Cordylus niger, commonly known as the black girdled lizard, is a medium-sized lizard.
Geographic Range
Its range is restricted to Table Mountain on the Cape Peninsula, plus a second isolated population located near Langebaan, South Africa.
Habitat
Black girdled lizards live in rocky outcrops on Table Mountain.
Social Behavior
Unlike many other lizard species found in this region, these Cordylus lizards are not social, and are typically encountered alone.
Morphology and Coloration
They have a spiny, flattened body, and are solid pitch black in color.
Thermoregulatory Adaptation
Their dark coloration allows these lizards to absorb enough heat from the sun, in one of the cloudiest, least sunny regions of South Africa.
