Black Girdled Lizard

Fascinating facts about the Black Girdled Lizard

• The black girdled lizard is usually seen alone on the rocky outcrops of Table Mountain.
• Its flat, spiny body is painted pitch-black, a built-in solar panel that lets it soak up heat even in one of South Africa’s darkest, least sunny regions.
• This medium-sized lizard isn’t spread across the Cape Peninsula – it’s confined to Table Mountain and a lone pocket of habitat near Langebaan, a split that highlights its fragile, localized existence.

About the Black Girdled Lizard

The black girdled lizard, Cordylus niger, is a medium-sized, flat-bodied reptile that lives on the rocky outcrops of Table Mountain on South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. It has a pitch-black, spiny armor that covers its body, and its colour helps it absorb heat from the sun in one of the darkest, least sunny parts of South Africa. Unlike many other lizards in the area, it is usually seen alone.

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