| Cape flat lizard | |
|---|---|
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| Illustration of female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Cordylidae |
| Genus: | Platysaurus |
| Species: | P. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Platysaurus capensis | |
The Cape flat lizard or Namaqua flat lizard (Platysaurus capensis) is a lizard in the Cordylidae family found in Namibia and South Africa.
Females and juveniles have a dark brown back with three wide white stripes which run down head to tail. Their bellies are white with a black blotch in the center. Adult males, on the other hand, have the upper half of their body bright blue, sometimes with pale spots or stripes. The back half, including the tail, is dark red. Adults are 5 to 6.6 inches long.
This lizard lives in the southwestern part of Africa, in Namibia and South Africa. The Cape flat lizard lives in deserts with many rocks.
Cape flat lizards hunt by ambush, waiting under a shady spot for an insect to pass by. It will also eat flowers and berries. Cape flat lizards are shy and often run for cover when threatened. People often see these lizards from a distance on top of rocks. They may live in small groups. Cape flat lizards lay their eggs in November or December.
Platysaurus is a genus of lizards, commonly known as flat lizards for their flat backs, in the family Cordylidae.
The Soutpansberg flat lizard is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family.
The Waterberg flat lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Platysaurus broadleyi, also known commonly as the Augrabies flat lizard and Broadley's flat lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.
The dwarf flat lizard or lesser flat lizard is a lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is found in Southern Africa.
The emperor flat lizard or imperial flat lizard is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family.
The common flat lizard is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family. This lizard has 9 subspecies, all living in southern Africa.
The Lebombo flat lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae.
The spotted flat lizard is a lizard in the Cordylidae family, which is native to Mozambique.
The orange-throated flat lizard is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family.
The ocellated flat lizard or Chimanimani flat lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is endemic to the Chimanimani Mountains of south eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique.
The Sekukhune flat lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. It has two subspecies.
Platysaurus torquatus, the striped flat lizard or collared flat lizard, is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family found in southeast Africa.
The Limpopo girdled lizard, 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.
The Transvaal girdled lizard or Reichenow's spiny-tailed lizard is a very flattened girdled lizard from northeastern South Africa, Swaziland, and southeastern Botswana. It prefers rock outcrops in open grassland and feeds on small arthropods, especially beetles.
Pachydactylus labialis, commonly known as the Calvinia thick-toed gecko, Western Cape gecko, or Western Cape thick-toed gecko, is a gecko species endemic to the Western and Northern Cape in South Africa, often found taking shelter under stones.
Namazonurus campbelli, commonly known as Campbell's girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. A small girdled lizard, N. campbelli is endemic to Namibia. It is often mistaken for the more common Herero girdled lizard, N. pustulatus, as they both are similar in size and have flattened bodies. N. campbelli lives in rock crevices and cracks on dry mountain slopes
Ichnotropis capensis is a species of African lizard, which is native to the southern Afrotropics. It is the type species for the genus Ichnotropis, and is commonly called the Cape rough-scaled lizard due to them being found in southern Africa's Cape region. They are also called ornate rough-scaled lizard or Smith's rough-scaled sand lizard. The small lizards are terrestrial and occur in grassland, desert and brush areas of southern Africa.
Ichnotropis grandiceps is a species of African lizards in the family Lacertidae. They are commonly called Caprivi rough-scaled lizards as they are largely found in southwestern Africa on the border of the Caprivi Strip. The cape rough-scaled lizards are terrestrial and found in the range of open woodland and mesic savanna. The caprivi rough-scaled lizards are medium in size and distributed in parts of Namibia and Botswana. This species is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List for endangered species as they are rare and has not been seen or collected since 1998. Data about the population or specimens collected are needed for the IUCN to obtain more information about the unknown threats that may be impacting them.
Platysaurus attenboroughi is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in Namibia.
