Gerrhosaurus major
Sudan Plated Lizard
Class: Reptilia. Order: Squamata. Family: Gerrhosauridae.
Physical Description: Sudan plated lizard gets its name from the
two sets of plates on its top and bottom that protect it from
predators. The gap between the plates allows for expansion. Their
coloration is a grayish-brown with transverse bands on plate-like,
keeled scales. Their belly is dark brown and the tail is half the length of the body. . Males are larger than
females with bright-colored throats. Their body shape resembles that of skinks. Adults can grow to
approximately 1-2.2 ft. maximum length at adult size.
Diet in the wild: Omnivorous, eating a wide variety of plants and plant parts, insects, and small vertebrates
(including other lizards and snakes).
Diet at the zoo: Fresh water turtle diet, tortoise biscuits, carrot, sweet potato, romaine, mealworms,
crickets, pinkie mice
Habitat & Range: Found south of the Sahara, in Eastern and Southeastern Africa.
They inhabit semi-arid steppes and/or savannas. They occupy burrows and termite mounds or rocky
outcroppings.
Life Span: 5 to 10 years
Perils in the wild: Large snakes, monitor lizards, and desert birds of prey. Young are especially vulnerable
to predation, are inexperienced at finding and capturing food items, and are not yet able to build up food
reserves inside their bodies to tide them over during times of scarcity or periods of aestivation. Of course,
human interventions create problems for all life forms.
PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS
The coloring on plated lizards helps to camouflage in the desert climate, with their light brown
scales helping them blend into the sand and rock formations.
They use their thick, strong tail as a whip to fend off predators and strike them. The sharp plates on
the tail can cause pain to any intruder to their burrow or personal space. They will often run and
stop suddenly to raise the tail in a threatening manner.
Their plated, hard scales act as a type of armor to protect them from the dry desert climate and the
bright sun.
The tongue serves as a sense organ by capturing biochemical particles present in the environment
emitted by food, predators, mates, etc. Inside the mouth these chemicals are analyzed by a sensory
organ in the palate called the Jacobson’s organ. This structure is lined with cells which connect
directly to the brain, enabling blue-tongued skinks as well as other lizards and snakes to detect very
subtle ingredients in their immediate surroundings.
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS
They are diurnal.
Plated Lizards often share their burrow or termite mound with other animals including some snakes.
They hide in crevices, wedging themselves into small openings where the predator cannot reach.
Plated lizards are capable of autotomy or shedding of the tail in an effort to escape. Evidence
suggests that tail loss (and regeneration) may shorten over-all life expectancy. Among other
reasons for this is the fact that fat reserves are stored in the tail. Loss of these reserves may
decrease survival potential during winter. Loss of tail often results in the inability to attract a mate.
Lizards regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun’s warm rays and during mid-day heat
seek refuge in the cool shade. This type of behavioral thermoregulation helps to maintain a steady
body temperature of 97-102 degrees. The term “cold-blooded” clearly does not apply here!
Reproduction and Development: Female usually lays 2 large eggs in moist soil, but has been known to lay
up to 4. The eggs hatch after 3-4 months. The young are 10-15 cm. (3.9-5.5 inches) at hatching.
Additional Information:
The line running along the plated lizard is a gap in the plates. It allows for expansion if the situation
calls for it. If additional food is found, it allows for growth. According to one account, they can also
fill their lungs with air to wedge themselves in small crevasses in the event of a predator attack.
The Sudan Plated Lizard goes under several other names like: Great plated lizard, Rough-scaled
plated lizard, African plated lizard and Tawny plated lizard.
Gerrhosaurus major are hunted for the pet trade, as they are difficult to breed in captivity and are
often wild-caught. Plated lizards have become a very popular pet. They are not considered to be
endangered at this time.
Conservation Connection: Lizards
Reptiles are important components of the food webs in most ecosystems. They fill a critical role both as
predator and prey species. Herbivorous species can also be important seed dispersers, particularly on island
habitats. Reptile species can also be useful to people, in some areas, they help control the numbers of
serious agricultural pests by consuming rodent and insect pests.
Don’t buy products, particularly when you’re abroad, made from reptile skins such as handbags, boots
made from snake or crocodile skin or jewelry made from tortoiseshell.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List
Conservation Efforts: N/A
Glossary: List of definitions of the most important recurrent technical terms used in the text.
autotomy – The breaking off of a part of the body by the organism itself.
behavioral thermoregulation- How a reptile may regulate its body temperature by its behavior. By basking
in the sun to warm and moving to the shade to escape the heat of the day allows there animals to maintain
a relatively stable temperature of 97-102 degrees.
Jacobson’s organ- A pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are lined with olfactory cells and
nerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.
Sources:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Meet_the_zoos_herps/default.cfm?id=23
http://www.oaklandzoo.org/Sudan_Plated_Lizard.php
http://www.animalia.us/Plated%20Lizard.htm
Hickman, C.P. Roberts, L.S. 1994. Biology of Animals