Broadley (2006) recognized 47 species in the genus
Cordylus, including eight species originally placed in the genus
Pseudocordylus (
P. fasciatus,
P. langi,
P. melanotus,
P. microlepidotus,
P. nebulosus,
P. spinosus,
P. subviridis, and
P. transvaalensis) and
Hemicordylus capensis. The greatest diversity of cordylids is in South Africa, with a few species found in Angola and eastern Africa as far north as Ethiopia. Other members of the Cordylidae are the
genera Chamaesaura (a group of legless lizards from southern and eastern Africa) and
Platysaurus. The sister group of Cordylidae is the plated lizards,
family Gerrhosauridae. In 2011, a study based on the molecular
phylogeny of the family suggested several species traditionally included in
Cordylus should be moved to other genera:
Hemicordylus (for
capensis and
nebulosus),
Karusasaurus (for
jordani and
polyzonus),
Namazonurus (for
campbelli,
lawrenci,
namaquensis,
peersi and
pustulatus),
Ninurta (for
coeruleopunctatus),
Ouroborus (for
cataphractus) and
Smaug (for
breyeri,
giganteus,
mossambicus,
regius,
vandami and
warreni). This classification is supported by the
Reptile Database where 21 species remain in
Cordylus. '
Genus Cordylus'''
(sensu stricto''): • Angolan girdled lizard,
Cordylus angolensis • Maasai girdled lizard,
Cordylus beraduccii • Cape girdled lizard,
Cordylus cordylus • Rooiberg girdled lizard,
Cordylus imkeae • Limpopo girdled lizard,
Cordylus jonesii • Machadoe's girdled lizard,
Cordylus machadoi • Coastal spiny-tailed lizard,
Cordylus macropholis • Marungu girdled lizard,
Cordylus marunguensis • McLachlan's girdled lizard,
Cordylus mclachlani • Mecula girdled lizard,
Cordylus meculae • Dwarf girdled lizard,
Cordylus minor • Kaokoveld girdled lizard,
Cordylus namakuiyus • Black girdled lizard,
Cordylus niger '', endemic to two small areas of South Africa. • Nyika girdled lizard,
Cordylus nyikae • Oelofsen's girdled lizard,
Cordylus oelofseni • N’Dolondolo girdled lizard,
Cordylus phonolithos • Rhodesian girdled lizard,
Cordylus rhodesianus • Ethiopian girdled lizard,
Cordylus rivae • East African spiny-tailed lizard,
Cordylus tropidosternum • Ukinga girdled lizard,
Cordylus ukingensis • Transvaal girdled lizard,
Cordylus vittifer Nota bene: A
binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than
Cordylus. '
Formerly assigned in Cordylus'''
(sensu lato''): • species in the genus
Hemicordylus • species in the genus
Karusasaurus • species in the genus
Namazonurus •
Blue-spotted girdled lizard,
Ninurta coeruleopunctatus •
Armadillo girdled lizard,
Ouroborus cataphractus • species in the genus
Pseudocordylus • species in the genus
Smaug ==References==