Cordylidae

Cordylidae
Tropical Girdled Lizard, Cordylus tropidosternum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertilia
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Cordylidae Fitzinger, 1826

Cordylidae is a family of mid-sized lizards that inhabit arid and semi-arid regions in Madagascar and eastern Africa. They are commonly known as the Spinytail lizards or Girdle-tailed lizards.^[1]

Girdle-tailed lizards are diurnal and insectivorous. They are terrestrial, mostly inhabiting crevices in rocky terrain, although at least one species digs burrows. They have flattened heads and bodies, and are distinguished by a heavy armour of osteoderms and large, rectangular, scales, arranged in regular rows around the body and tail. As the common name implies, many species have rings of spines on the tail, that aid in wedging the animal into sheltering crevices, and also in fighting off predators.^[2]

Most species have four limbs, but those in the genus Chamaesaura are almost entirely limbless, with only tiny spikes in place of the hind limbs. The family includes both egg-laying and ovoviviparous species.^[2]

Genera

FAMILY CORDYLIDAE

• Subfamily Chamaesaurinae
  • Genus Chamaesaura - Grass lizards (3 species)
• Subfamily Cordylinae
  • Genus Cordylus - (47 species)
  • Genus Platysaurus - Flat lizards (15 species)
  • Genus Pseudocordylus - (6 species)

References

1. ^ "Cordylidae." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007.
2. ^ ^{a b} Bauer, Aaron M. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 160–161. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.