One of the 15 lizards on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Cordylidae
Giant Dragon Lizard
Smaug giganteus
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The giant girdled lizard, also known as the giant dragon lizard, the sungazer or the ouvolk, is a ground-dwelling lizard of the family Cordylidae that lives in the savannas of southern Africa. It usually lives in small groups, digging burrows and feeding on invertebrates and small vertebrates; the giant girdled lizard is equipped with spiny scales like those of the other girdled lizards.
Weight
200 g – 400 g
Size
30 cm – 40 cm
Lifespan
15 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- Its English name, sungazer, comes from its characteristic posture: it sits at the mouth of its burrow with its body upright and its head tilted towards the sun, a picture of apparent contemplation.
- It is the only cordylid that digs its own burrows in the ground rather than sheltering in rock crevices, and those tunnels can reach two metres in length.
- Its habitat, the Highveld grassland, is one of the most heavily transformed ecosystems in South Africa: farming and mining have removed most of it, and the species cannot recolonise ploughed ground.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- High grassland of the Highveld plateau, in north-eastern South Africa
- Sexual maturity
- 4 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 8 months of gestation
- Litter / clutch size
- 3 live young
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smaug_giganteus
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Giant Dragon Lizard — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Cape Vulture
Gyps coprotheres
Southern Ground-Hornbill
Bucorvus leadbeateri
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
VulnerableTopi
Damaliscus lunatus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Snoring Puddle Frog
Phrynobatrachus natalensis
How to help
The giant dragon lizard is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
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