Pungwe flat lizard
Species of lizard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pungwe flat lizard (Platysaurus pungweensis) is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family.
| Pungwe flat lizard | |
|---|---|
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| Individual at the Frankfurt Zoo | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Cordylidae |
| Genus: | Platysaurus |
| Species: | P. pungweensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Platysaurus pungweensis Broadley, 1959 | |
Description
Females and juveniles of the Pungwe flat lizard are black and striped on their backs. Males vary by subspecies. The species resembles the common flat lizard, Platysaurus intermedius.
Geography
Pungwe flat lizards live in eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique.[1][2] The type was obtained at the Pungwe River at 730 m (2,400 ft) above sea level, near the eastern border of Rhodesia (current Zimbabwe).[2]
Habitat and ecology
Subspecies
Two subspecies are accepted:[1][2]
- P. p. pungweensis – Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique
- P. p. blakei Broadley, 1964 – outcrops and inselbergs in the lowlands of southern Manica Platform, central Mozambique. Type locality 24 kilometres (15 miles) southeast of Vila de Manica.[3]