Smaug warreni

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Scincomorpha
Superfamilia: Scincoidea

Familia: Cordylidae
Subfamilia: Cordylinae
Genus: Smaug
Species: Smaug warreni
Name

Smaug warreni (Boulenger, 1908)

Type locality: “Ubombo, Zululand.”
Combinations

Zonurus warreni Boulenger, 1908: 224 [original combination]

References
Primary references

Boulenger, G. A. 1908. On a collection of fresh-water fishes, batrachians, and reptiles from Natal and Zululand, with description of new species. Annals of the Natal Government Museum 1(3): 219–235.

Additional references

Stanley, E.L. & Bates, M.F. 2014. Here be dragons: a phylogenetic and biogeographical study of the Smaug warreni species complex (Squamata: Cordylidae) in southern Africa. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 172(4): 892–909. DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12187 Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2021. Smaug warrenii. The Reptile Database. Accessed on 10 September 2017.

Vernacular names
English: Warren’s Girdled Lizard

Warren's girdled lizard (Smaug warreni) is a species of relatively large, flattened lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is native to Southern Africa.

Etymology

The specific name, warreni, is in honour of British zoologist Ernest Warren (1871–1945), who collected the holotype.[2]
Geographic range

S. warreni is known from Botswana, Mozambique, and South Africa[3] (the Lebombo Mountains in northeastern South Africa and eastern Swaziland).
Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of S. warreni are savanna and rock outcrops on wooded mountain slopes, at altitudes of 300–800 m (980–2,620 ft).[1]
Diet

A shy species, S. warreni eats large arthropods and small vertebrates.
Description

S. warreni has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 105–130 mm (4.1–5.1 in). The back is dark brown with small yellow spots forming bands. The belly is light brown, and the throat and lips are mottled. Males have 10-12 femoral pores. The tail is spiny and slightly longer than the SVL.
Reproduction

S. warreni is ovoviviparous.[3]
Taxonomy

The Barberton girdled lizard (Smaug barbertonensis), Waterberg girdled lizard (Smaug breyeri), Zoutpansberg girdled lizard (Smaug depressus), Mozambique girdled lizard (Smaug mossambicus), and the regal girdled lizard (Smaug regius) were formerly considered subspecies of Warren's girdled lizard.
Pet trade

Warren's girdled lizard was formerly available in the pet trade, possibly exported from Mozambique. Most specimens were labeled Cordylus warreni depressus and should be considered Smaug depressus.
References

Bates, M.F.; Mouton, P.L.F.N. (2018). "Smaug warreni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T110167218A115679533. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T110167218A115679533.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Cordylus warreni, p. 280).

Species Smaug warreni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading

Boulenger GA (1908). "On a collection of fresh-water fishes, batrachians, and reptiles from Natal and Zululand, with description of new species". Annals of the Natal Museum 1 (3): 219–235. (Zonurus warreni, new species).
Branch B (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing: 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Cordylus warreni, pp. 195–196 + Plate 70).
FitzSimons VF (1943). The Lizards of South Africa. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum. xvi + 528 pp. (Cordylus warreni, new combination).
Stanley, Edward L.; Bauer, Aaron M.; Jackmann, Todd R.; Branch, William R.; Mouton, P. Le Fras N. (2011). "Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58 (1): 53–70. (Smaug warreni, new combination).