The Ukinga girdled lizard (''Cordylus ukingensis'') is a poorly known species of
girdled lizard from central
Tanzania. They are rupicolous (rock-dwelling) and feed on small
arthropods
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
.
The dorsal coloration is red-brown with scattered dark mottles. The lateral scales often have pale borders. The upper lip is white and there is a distinct dark dorsolateral band on the sides of the neck. The belly is pale gray. The maximum length is around 170 mm.
The Ukinga girdled lizard can be distinguished from related species (''
Cordylus tropidosternum
The East African armadillo lizard, dwarf sungazer, or tropical girdled lizard (''Cordylus tropidosternum'') is a species of arboreal or rupicolous (rock-dwelling) lizard endemic to East Africa.
Habitat
The preferred habitat of the East African a ...
'' and ''
Cordylus jonesii
The Limpopo girdled lizard (''Cordylus jonesii''), also known commonly as Jones's armadillo lizard and Jones's girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to Southern Africa.
Etymology
The specific na ...
'') by their white lips, keeled scales on the throat, fusion of the loreal scale with the preocular (separate in other species), and the presence of a low supraocular ridge. The supraocular ridge extends along the lateral edges of the prefrontal, frontal, frontoparietal, parietal, and supraocular scales.
Ukinga girdled lizards have recently been exported from Tanzania for the pet trade. They are commonly labeled, along with the
tropical girdled lizard, as the
armadillo lizard.
References
* 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.
* Spawls, S., Howell, K, Drewes, R, and Ashe, J, 2002. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa: Academic Press, San Diego, 543 p.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2997198
Cordylus
Reptiles of Tanzania
Reptiles described in 1932
Taxa named by Arthur Loveridge