Emperor flat lizard

Emperor flat lizard

Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Cordylidae
Genus:	Platysaurus
Species:	P. imperator
Binomial name
*Platysaurus imperator* Broadley 1962^[2]

The emperor flat lizard or imperial flat lizard (Platysaurus imperator) is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family.

Description

Females and juveniles are black and have three light cream stripes, which are yellow on the head, running down the lizard's back. The middle stripe is narrow and broken near the rear, and the tail is straw-colored. The throat is white, while the belly is mainly black. Adult males have a yellow head and a dark red body with several large, whitish spots anteriorly. These pale spots are yellowish near the tail. The limbs are black, while the throat is dark red with a thick black collar. The chest is reddish or yellowish while the tail is orange to light yellow below. Like the females and juveniles, the belly is black.

This Platysaurus is the largest of its kind, with males reaching 146 mm. The common flat lizard, Platysaurus intermedius, is closely related, but the Emperor Flat Lizard is easily distinguishable by its large size and striking colors.

Geography

The emperor flat lizard's range is northeastern Zimbabwe and the adjacent part of Mozambique. Its habitat is mesic savanna. These lizards will often live on top of boulders on hills.

Habits

A large male emperor flat lizard and several attendant females command the tops of huge boulders on hills, where they feed on beetles, grubs, and ants. Emperor flat lizards have been documented living up to fourteen years.

Breeding

Clutches of two eggs are laid in the summer. These eggs are large, with dimensions of 27 mm long by 12 mm wide.

Conservation

Emperor flat lizards are threatened by over-collecting for the pet trade.

References

↑ Adolphs, K. (2010). "Platysaurus imperator". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
↑ "Platysaurus taxonomy". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2007-09-04.

External links

More Information

Extant Cordylidae species

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata

Chamaesaura	Cape grass lizard (C. anguina) Large-scale grass lizard (C. macrolepis) Transvaal grass lizard (C. aenea)

Cordylus	African spiny-tailed lizard (C. polyzonus) Angolan girdled lizard (C. angolensis) Barberton girdled lizard (C. barbertonensis) Black girdled lizard (C. niger) Campbell's girdled lizard (C. campbelli) Cape girdled lizard (C. cordylus) Cloete's girdled lizard (C. cloetei) Coastal spiny-tailed lizard (C. macropholis) Mecula girdled lizard (C. meculae) C. nyikae C. rivae Drakensberg crag lizard (C. subviridis) Dwarf crag lizard (C. nebulosus) Dwarf girdled lizard (C. minor) Dwarf Karoo girdled lizard (C. aridus) East African spiny-tailed lizard (C. tropidosternum) Eastern Cape crag lizard (C. fasciatus) False girdled lizard (C. capensis) Herero girdled lizard (C. pustulatus) Hewitt's spiny-tailed lizard (C. peersi) Highveld crag lizard (C. melanotus) Jordan's girdled lizard (C. jordani) Lawrence's girdled lizard (C. lawrenci) Limpopo girdled lizard (C. jonesii) Maasai girdled lizard (C. beraduccii) Machado's girdled lizard (C. machadoi) McLachlan's girdled lizard (C. mclachlani) Namaqua girdled lizard (C. namaquensis) Northern crag lizard (C. transvaalensis) Oelofsen's girdled lizard (C. oelofseni) Rhodesian girdled lizard (C. rhodesianus) Rooiberg girdled lizard (C. imkeae) Tasman's girdled lizard (C. tasmani) Transvaal girdled lizard (C. vittifer) Ukinga girdled lizard (C. ukingensis) Van Dam's girdled lizard (C. vandami) Waterberg girdled lizard (C. breyeri) Western Cape crag lizard (C. microlepidotus)

Hemicordylus	P. capensis P. nebulosus

Ninurta	Blue-spotted girdled lizard (N. coeruleopunctatus)

Ouroboros	Armadillo girdled lizard (O. cataphractus)

Platysaurus	Broadley's flat lizard (P. broadleyi) Cape flat lizard (P. capensis) Common flat lizard (P. intermedius) Dwarf flat lizard (P. guttatus) Emperor flat lizard (P. imperator) Lebombo flat lizard (P. lebomboensis) Mitchell's flat lizard (P. mitchelli) Ocellated flat lizard (P. ocellatus) Orange-throated flat lizard (P. monotropis) Pungwe flat lizard (P. pungweensis) Sekukhune flat lizard (P. orientalis) Soutpansberg flat lizard (P. relictus) Spotted flat lizard (P. maculatus) Striped flat lizard (P. torquatus) Waterberg flat lizard (P. minor)

Pseudocordylus	Lang's crag lizard (P. langi) Prickly girdled lizard (P. spinosus) P. melanotus P. microlepidotus

Smaug	S. breyeri Giant girdled lizard (S. giganteus) Mozambique girdled lizard (S. mossambicus) S. regius S. vandami Warren's girdled lizard (S. warreni): S. w. barbertonensis S. w. depressus S. w. warreni

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