The genus Cordylus includes a wide variety of species of small to medium spiny lizards from Africa, collectively called girdle-tailed lizards or girdled lizards. All are diurnal and ovoviviparous. Most species are rupicolous (rock-dwelling), while a few species are arboreal or live in burrows. They defend themselves with osteoderms and by quickly retreating into rock crevices or burrows. Many species live in groups, and males defend territories.
The sungazer, also known as the giant girdled lizard, giant dragon lizard, ouvolk, or giant zonure, is the largest species of the Cordylidae, a family of lizards from sub-Saharan Africa. This threatened species is endemic to Highveld grasslands in the interior of South Africa. In 2011, it was assigned to the new genus Smaug, along with seven other species previously belonging to the genus Cordylus, based on a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Cordylidae.
The McLachlan's girdled lizard or McLachlan's spiny-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family endemic to South Africa.
Hemicordylus nebulosus is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family. It is endemic to South Africa on the mist belt of northern slope of the Hottentots Holland Mountains. The scientific name, H. nebulosus means cloud or dark crag lizard. The name was given due to the melanistic body color. Other names include the dwarf cliff lizard, dwarf crag lizard, dark crag lizard and the cloudy crag lizard.
The spiny crag lizard or prickly girdled lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae.
The Transvaal girdled lizard or Reichenow's spiny-tailed lizard is a very flattened girdled lizard from northeastern South Africa, Eswatini, and southeastern Botswana. It prefers rock outcrops in open grassland and feeds on small arthropods, especially beetles.
Warren's girdled lizard is a species of relatively large, flattened lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.
Cordylus niger, the black girdled lizard, is a medium-sized lizard restricted to Table Mountain on the Cape Peninsula and a second, isolated population near Langebaan.
Cordylus cordylus, the Cape girdled lizard, is a medium-sized lizard indigenous to the southern Cape region of South Africa, where it inhabits crags, rocky outcrops and mountain summits. They evade predators by wedging themselves firmly in rock cracks.
The false girdled lizard is a lizard species endemic to the Cape Fold Belt of southern South Africa.
The whitespotted grouper, also known as the rankin cod, ocellated rockcod, small-spotted cod, white-spotted reef-cod or whitespotted rockcod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has an Indo-Pacific distribution. It is closely related to two other species of white spotted groupers in the genus Epinephelus.
Zoutpansberg girdled lizard is a species of the genus Smaug. This species is only found on and around the Soutpansberg in South Africa and was before considered a subspecies of Warren's girdled lizard. Zoutpansberg girdled lizard's grow to a length up to 16 centimeters.
Karusasaurus, commonly known as Karusa lizards, is a genus of lizards in the family Cordylidae.
Karusasaurus polyzonus, commonly known as the Karoo girdled lizard or the southern karusa lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae.
The Rooiberg girdled lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in South Africa.
The western dwarf girdled lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in South Africa.
Oelofsen's girdled lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in South Africa.
Peers's girdled lizard or Peers's Nama lizard is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small, spiny lizard found in South Africa.
Smaug barbertonensis is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. It is a small lizard found in eastern South Africa and Eswatini.
