''Ninurta coeruleopunctatus'' ( syn. ''Cordylus coeruleopunctatus''), the blue-spotted girdled lizard or simply blue-spotted lizard, is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to southern, coastal

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The ''Ninurta'' ''coeruleopunctatus'''','' as a member of the Cordylinae subfamily, demonstrates significant variability in body armor. This variation is a cause of the diverse evolutionary pressures within the subfamily. The environments aridity is the significant cause for this body armour's evolution.

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Blue-spotted girdled lizard
* ''Ninurta'' gen. nov.
Stanley et al, 2011
Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae) * Cordylidae Reptiles described in 1913 Endemic reptiles of South Africa Taxa named by Paul Ayshford Methuen Taxa named by John Hewitt (herpetologist) {{lizard-stub