Smaug barbertonensis (VAN DAM, 1921)
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Smaug barbertonensis
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| Higher Taxa | Cordylidae (Cordylinae), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Barberton Dragon Lizard, Barberton Girdled Lizard |
| Synonym | Zonurus barbertonensis VAN DAM 1921 Zonurus barbertonensis barbertonensis — FITZSIMONS 1933 (by implication) Cordylus warreni barbertonensis — FITZSIMONS 1943 Cordylus warreni barbertonensis — BOYCOTT 1992 Smaug warreni barbertonensis — STANLEY et al. 2011 Smaug warreni barbertonensis — BATES et al. 2014: 211 Smaug warreni barbertonensis — REISSIG 2014 Smaug barbertonensis — STANLEY & BATES 2014 |
| Distribution | South Africa (Barberton District) and Swaziland (middleveld) Type locality: Barberton [Mpumalanga Province], South Africa. |
| Reproduction | Ovoviviparous. |
| Types | Holotype: DNMNH (= TM) 4273 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Distinguished from all other cordylids by its unique combination of dorsal, lateral and ventral colour patterns (see descriptions and figures). A medium to large species of Smaug distinguishable by the following combination of characters: (1) back dark brown to black with 4–5 bands (usually interrupted) between fore- and hindlimbs, each band consisting of pale, sometimes dark-edged, markings; (2) pale spot or blotch on nape behind occipitals; (3) flanks dark with narrow, pale, vertical markings; (4) belly mostly dark brown or black; (5) throat almost entirely dark brown or black with only a few pale areas; (6) usually six enlarged, moderately to non-spinose, occipital scales, middle pair the smallest, outer occipitals usually shorter than the adjacent inner ones; (7) dorsolateral and lateral scales moderately spinose; (8) tail moderately spikey; (9) dorsal scale rows transversely 28–34; (10) dorsal scale rows longitudinally 20–24; (11) ventral scale rows transversely 25–28; (12) ventral scale rows longitudinally 14 (rarely 16); (13) femoral pores per thigh 8–12; subdigital lamellae on 4th toe 15–19. It differs from other species of Smaug as described above in the diagnosis of S. swazicus sp. nov. (but maximum SVL in S. barbertonensis is 140 mm, and femoral pores in males are 8–11 per thigh). Most similar to S. swazicus sp. nov. and S. warreni, but easily distinguishable by its colour pattern (see comparisons in diagnosis of S. swazicus sp. nov. above); by usually having more elongate and spinose scales at the edges of the ear openings (shorter and non-spinose in S. swazicus sp. nov. and S. warreni); and quadrates lacking a pronounced ridge and concave region at the lateral edge of the adductor musculus mandibulae posterior origin (with a pronounced ridge and concave region in S. swazicus sp. nov.). Also differs as follows: outer occipitals shorter than the adjacent inner ones (of about equal length in S. warreni); head relatively wider than the other two species (head width/head length = 80–92% vs. 73–84% in adults); lower numbers of transverse dorsal scale rows (29‒32 in 81%) compared to S. swazicus sp. nov. (32‒37 in 86%) and S. warreni (32‒38 in 92%); and lower numbers of longitudinal dorsal scale rows (20‒24, mean 21.7) compared to S. warreni (22‒28, mean 23.6) [from Bates & Stanley 2020: 26]. |
| Comment | See also S. warreni. Distribution: see map in STANLEY & BATES 2014: Figure 2. |
| Etymology | Named after the type locality. |
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