Van Dam's girdled lizard
# Van Dam's girdled lizard

Van Dam's girdled lizard (Smaug vandami) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.

## Geographic range

The type locality of S. vandami is Gravelotte, Limpopo, South Africa.

## Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of S. vandami are grassland and savanna.

## Description

A large lizard, S. vandami may attain a snout-vent length (SVL) of 14.5 cm (5.7 in). It has a triangular shaped head, and spiny dorsal scales. The predominant colour is dark brown with fragmented yellow rings.

## Behaviour

S. vandami is largely solitary and hides in cracks in rocks.

## Reproduction

S. vandami is ovoviviparous. From two to six young are born alive in summer.

## Etymology

The species is named for the collector of the type specimens, Gerhardus Petrus Frederick van Dam (died 1927), who was a South African herpetologist.

## Common names

Other common names for S. vandami include the Afrikaans name ouvolk, meaning "old folk".

