| Karusasaurus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Karusasaurus polyzonus in its natural habitat | |
| |
| A more detailed close-up of K. polyzonus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Cordylidae |
| Genus: | Karusasaurus Stanley, Bauer, Jackman, Branch & Mouton, 20111 |
| Species | |
|
Two, see text | |
Karusasaurus, commonly known as Karusa lizards or Karusa girdled lizards, is a genus of lizards in the family Cordylidae.234
Its species were previously considered to be included in the genus Cordylus, but more recent studies have shown that they are distinct enough to have their own genus.15
Description and distribution
Karusasaurus contains two species,6 which are widely distributed across the southern part of Africa, specifically, in the semi-arid areas of South Africa and Namibia.17 Like all girdled lizards, they are insectivores. They come in a great range of colors, including black, red, and turquoise.4
Species
There are two recognized species:6
- Karusasaurus jordani (Parker, 1936) – Jordan's girdled lizard, Namibian girdled lizard
- Karusasaurus polyzonus (A. Smith, 1838) – Karoo girdled lizard, southern Karusa lizard
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Karusasaurus.
References
References
- Stanley, Edward L.; Bauer, Aaron M.; Jackman, 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. Bibcode:2011MolPE..58...53S. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.08.024. PMID 20816817.
- "Karusasaurus". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
- "Karusasaurus ". iSpot. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- "Karusasaurus ". American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- Mouton, P.L.F.N. (2018). "Karusasaurus polyzonus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T110161123A115675844. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T110161123A115675844.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- Karusasaurus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 August 2025.
- "Karusasaurus Stanley, Bauer, Jackman, Branch & Mouton, 2011". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
Further reading
Further reading
- Stanley, Edward L.; Bauer, Aaron M.; Jackman, 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: 53–70 (Karusasaurus, new genus, p. 66).