Hemicordylus
| Hemicordylus | |
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| File:Hemicordylus capensis, Hottentots-Holland Mountains - South Africa.jpg | |
| H. capensis in the Hottentots-Holland | |
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Hemicordylus
Smith, 1838
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Hemicordylus, the false girdled lizards, is a genus comprising two lizard species endemic to the Cape Fold Belt of southern South Africa.
Contents
Description
Their maximum snout-to-vent length is about 76 mm. They have gracile features, with a phenotype which is described as intermediate between typical Cordylus and the larger, more robust Pseudocordylus. They have long limbs, and long slender digits. Some populations are melanistic and sexually dichromatic.[1] The melanistic populations have been shown to be ecotypes rather than relics in the related genus Karusasaurus.[2]
Habits
Their specialized adaptation to steep rock faces, is believed to have favoured their agility and lightly armored anatomy.[1][3] They give live birth to 1–3 young.[1]
