Girdle-tailed Lizard

Cordylus tropidosternum

Range

• Southern Africa

Habitat

• Dry forests

Diet

• Millipedes
• Termites
• Scorpions
• Plants

Unlike most lizards, which produce young by laying eggs, girdle-tailed lizards give birth to live young by first hatching the eggs within their bodies.

These versatile lizards either spend their time dwelling in trees (arboreal) or dwelling in the rocks below. The sexes are similar in size and appearance. The biggest difference is that the males have slightly broader heads.