Platysaurus Explained

Platysaurus is a genus of lizards, commonly known as flat lizards for their flat backs, in the family Cordylidae.

Geographic range

All species in the genus Platysaurus live in isolated populations in southern Africa. They are found in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, eastern Botswana, southern Namibia and northern and western South Africa.^[1]

Description

The species of Platysaurus exhibit sexual dimorphism. Females and juveniles often have black or brown backs with white stripes, while males are much more colored. Also, males are somewhat larger than females.

Species

The described species are:

• Platysaurus attenboroughi – Attenborough's flat lizard
• Platysaurus broadleyi – Broadley's flat lizard or Augrabies flat lizard
• Platysaurus capensis – Cape flat lizard
• Platysaurus guttatus – dwarf flat lizard
• Platysaurus imperator – emperor flat lizard
• Platysaurus intermedius – common flat lizard
• Platysaurus lebomboensis – Lebombo flat lizard
• Platysaurus maculatus – spotted flat lizard
• Platysaurus minor – Waterberg flat lizard
• Platysaurus mitchelli – Mitchell's flat lizard
• Platysaurus monotropis – orange-throated flat lizard
• Platysaurus ocellatus – ocellated flat lizard
• Platysaurus orientalis – Sekukune flat lizard
• Platysaurus pungweensis – Pungwe flat lizard
• Platysaurus relictus – Soutpansberg flat lizard
• Platysaurus torquatus – striped flat lizard

See also

• Cordylidae
• Pseudocordylus
• Cordylus

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. ... Zonuridæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Genus Platysaurus, p. 261).
• Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Genus Platysaurus, p. 198).

External links

• More Information

Notes and References

1. Web site: Adolphs. Klaus. Platysaurus Smith, 1844. www.squamata.de. 29 July 2015. 24 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190102144343/http://www.squamata.de/c_news/c_archive/c_archive/c_platy.html. 2 January 2019. dead.