Scaly creature eluded searching scientists for decades — then it was found among rocks
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Nearly 130 years ago, a new species of lizard was described after a single specimen was discovered in Angola.
The only holotype was destroyed in a museum fire in 1978, leaving scientists with no evidence of the creature’s existence and prompting a search for more specimen. For decades, the species eluded re-discovery efforts despite ongoing exploration of the west-central highlands of Angola, where the original specimen was found in 1895.
Now, after recent field work successfully resulted in a series of specimens being collected in the Angolan highlands, scientists are finally able to describe Cordylus angolensis — and they located another new species of lizard, according to a study published July 14 in Vertebrate Zoology.
Here’s what to know about the two species of lizard.
Cordylus angolensis: an elusive lizard
Cordylus angolensis, also known as the Angolan girdled lizard, is a medium to large lizard that lives among rocks, scientists said. They are a type of Cordylidae, a widespread genus of girdled lizards that includes more than 20 species of lizards in Africa.
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The scaly creatures have a moderately depressed head and body and have two pairs of “large and well developed limbs,” according to the study. They have large, rough scales on their back that are dark brown with pale markings.
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Experts said the lizards have brown heads that occasionally have pale patches, and they have brown eyes.
The lizards live in cracks and crevices in granite outcrops found in the Angolan highlands, scientists said. Specimen were specifically collected from Taqueta Mountain on slopes surrounded by grasslands.
Cordylus momboloensis: a green-eyed lizard
Some of the Angolan girdled lizards that scientists collected during their recent field work were slightly different — and further research revealed that they are a new sister species to Cordylus angolensis.
Cordylus momboloensis, or Mombolo girdled lizards, are distinguishable by their pale green eyes and extra teeth, according to the study.
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Similar to its sister species, Mombolo girdled lizards have rough dark brown scales with pale markings, scientists said. They also have a dark head with pale patches and their belly has a bluish tint.
The Mombolo lizards were also found inhabiting cracks and crevices in rocky parts of steep slopes at Mount Verde and Mount Uassamba, the study said.
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Scaly creature eluded searching scientists for decades — then it was found among rocks."
