Brygoo's Girdled Lizard

Appearance

Dorsally brown, typically with dorsolateral bands in the form of sharply defined rows of white spots on the neck and anterior body, absent from posterior body. Throat unstriped, sometimes blue in males.

Distribution

This species is endemic to Madagascar where it is known from a few localities in the northeast, including Andriantantely (Rabibisoa et al. 2005), Antalaha (Raselimanana et al. 2009), Besariaka, Betampona (Vences et al. 1999), Daraina, Marotandrano (Raselimanana et al. 2009), Nosy Mangabe (Vences et al. 1999), Sandranantitra (Rabibisoa et al. 2005), and Tsararano (Andreone et al. 2000). This species has been reported from elevations between 600 and 850 m asl. (Andreone et al. 2000). It has an estimated extent of occurrence of 30,793 km².

Status

Listed as Least Concern because it has an extent of occurrence is greater than 30,000 km². However, the population is probably declining and the there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its forest habitat. If future taxonomic changes result in a significant reduction in this species' extent of occurrence, it may well require listing in a more threatened category.

Habitat

This terrestrial plated lizard is found in lowland humid forest. In Tsararano it was most frequently trapped in sunny areas alongside streams (Vences et al. 1999). When it occurs in sympatry with Z. madagascariensis it is found in more shaded, humid microhabitats (Vences et al. 1999).