Karusasaurus jordani
| Jordan’s girdled lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Cordylidae |
| Genus: | Karusasaurus |
| Species: | K. jordani |
| Binomial name | |
| Karusasaurus jordani (Parker, 1936) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Karusasaurus jordani, also known commonly as Jordan's girdled lizard and the Namibian girdled lizard, is a species of small, spiny lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to Namibia.[1][2]
Etymology
The specific name, jordani, is in honor of German-born British entomologist Heinrich Ernst Karl Jordan.[3]
Geographic range
K. jordani is found in central Namibia.[1][2]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of K. jordani is rocky hillsides in savanna, at altitudes of 1,000–1,800 m (3,300–5,900 ft).[1]
Description
Adults of K. jordani usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in), and maximum recorded SVL is 12.7 cm (5.0 in). The body is robust, not flattened. Adults are uniformly olive-brown, but juveniles are buff with dark crossbars. Males have only 5–8 femoral pores.[4]
Reproduction
The mode of reproduction of K. jordani has been described as viviparous[1] and as ovoviviparous.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bauer, A.M.; Becker, F. (2020). "Karusasaurus jordani ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T110161006A110161062. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T110161006A110161062.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Karusasaurus jordani at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 20 October 2020.
- ^ 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 jordani, p. 136).
- ^ Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa Third Revised edition, Second Impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Cordylus jordani, p. 193 + Plate 69).
Further reading
- Parker HW (1936). "Dr. Karl Jordan's Expedition to South-West Africa and Angola: Herpetological Collections". Novitates Zoologica (Tring) 40: 115–146. (Zonurus jordani, new species, pp. 133–134).
- FitzSimons VF (1943). The Lizards of South Africa. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum. xv + 528 pp. (Cordylus jordani, new combination).
- Schleicher, Alfred (2020). Reptiles of Namibia. Windhoek, Namibia: Kuiseb Publishers. 271 pp.
- Stanley EL, Bauer AM, Jackman TR, Branch WR, Mouton PLFN (2011). "Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58: 53–70. (Karusasaurus jordani, new combination).