About Cordylus niger Cuvier, 1829
Cordylus niger, commonly known as the black girdled lizard, is a medium-sized lizard. Its range is restricted to Table Mountain on the Cape Peninsula, plus a second isolated population located near Langebaan, South Africa. Black girdled lizards live in rocky outcrops on Table Mountain. Unlike many other lizard species found in this region, these Cordylus lizards are not social, and are typically encountered alone. They have a spiny, flattened body, and are solid pitch black in color. Their dark coloration allows these lizards to absorb enough heat from the sun, in one of the cloudiest, least sunny regions of South Africa.
