Smaug breyeri

Smaug breyeri, also known commonly as the Waterberg dragon lizard or the Waterberg girdled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.^[2]

Smaug breyeri
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Cordylidae
Genus:	Smaug
Species:	S. breyeri
Binomial name
Smaug breyeri (Van Dam, 1921)
Synonyms[2]
Zonurus breyeri Van Dam, 1921 Cordylus warreni breyeri — V. FitzSimons, 1943 Cordylus breyeri — Branch, 1998 Smaug breyeri — E. Stanley et al., 2011

Etymology

The specific name, breyeri, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Hermann Gottfried Breyer.^[3]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of S. breyeri is rocky areas of savanna, at altitudes of 700–1,700 m (2,300–5,600 ft).^[1]

Description

Adults of S. breyeri usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in), but may grow as large as 14.5 cm (5.7 in) SVL.^[4]

Reproduction

S. breyeri is viviparous.^[2] Two to four young are born in summer. Compared to adults, the neonates are quite large, each measuring about 11 cm (4.3 in) in total length (including tail).^[4]