| Cordylus beraduccii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Cordylidae |
| Genus: | Cordylus |
| Species: | C. beraduccii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cordylus beraduccii | |
Cordylus beraduccii, also known commonly as the Maasai girdled lizard, is a species of girdled lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is native to East Africa.
Geographic range
C. beraduccii is found in Kenya and Tanzania, where it lives in the Maasai plains from the Ngong Hills to Dodoma.[2]
Habitat
The Maasai girdled lizard is a rock-dwelling species that tends to prefer rock outcroppings in savannas or temperate forests.
Reproduction
The Maasai girdled lizard reproduces both sexually and asexually.[3] It is an ovoviviparous species, meaning that the female parent produces eggs that hatch in the body, resulting in a live birth.[4] Usually 1-5 young are born.
Captivity
Because of the Maasai girdled lizard's timid behavior and ability to easily reproduce asexually in captivity, it is quite common in the pet trade. It is the second most common girdled lizard bred in captivity behind the East African spiny-tailed lizard (Cordylus tropidosternum), and both species tend to fall under the same name of armadillo lizard, though unlike the real species of that name (Ouroborus cataphractus), this species does not grasp its tail and form a ball for defense.
Taxonomy
The species C. beraduccii was described in 2002 by Donald G. Broadley and William R. "Bill" Branch,[5] who named the species after the collector of the type specimen, Joe Beraducci.[6]
References
- ↑ Spawls, S.; Beraduccii, J.; Malonza, P. (2021). "Cordylus beraduccii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T44647984A44886357. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ↑ "Cordylus beraduccii ". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ↑ "New Scale Herpetoculture". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ↑ "Ovoviviparous | Definition of Ovoviviparous by Lexico". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ↑ Broadley, Donald G.; Branch, William R. (2002-06-01). "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. doi:10.1080/21564574.2002.9635459. ISSN 2156-4574. S2CID 85924241.
- ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Cordylus beraduccii, p. 23).
Further reading
- Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. ISBN 978-1472935618.