An isolated population of the

Rhodesian girdled lizard The Rhodesian girdled lizard (''Cordylus rhodesianus'') is one of three species of very flattened girdled lizards from Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. The other two species are '' Cordylus nyikae'' and ''Cordylus meculae''. They are found liv ...

(''Cordylus rhodesianus'') from granite outcrops in montane grassland of northern Malawi was recently redescribed as ''Cordylus nyikae''. Unlike the Rhodesian girdled lizard, the head shields of this species are very rugose, the nostrils are pierced in the lower posterior corner of the nasal scales, and the dorsals do not have a serrated posterior margin. The dorsal coloration is dark brown to gray-brown with lighter spots. The tail and upper lips are light brown. The belly is buff. Its common name is Nyika girdled lizard.''Cordylus nyikae''
he Reptile Database

References

Branch, B. (1998). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern.'' Africa: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing, Sanibel Island, Florida, 399 p. Broadley, D. G. and Branch, W. R. (2002). A review of the small east African ''Cordylus'' (Sauria: Cordylidae), with the description of a new species. ''African Journal of Herpetology'' 51(1): 9–34. Broadley, D. G. and Mouton, P. F. N. (2000). A new species of rupicolous ''Cordylus laurenti'' from Malawi (Sauria: Cordylidae). ''African Journal of Herpetology'' 49(2): 169–172.

External links

''Cordylus nyikae''
The Reptile Database {{Taxonbar, from=Q2997196 Cordylus Reptiles of Malawi Reptiles described in 2000 Taxa named by Donald George Broadley Taxa named by Pieter Le Fras Nortier Mouton Southern Rift montane forest–grassland mosaic