Welcome to the Cordylus giganteus web site. The international meeting place for people to obtain and exchange information and observations on this threatened species. The fact that you have found your way to this site and are reading this introduction, suggests that you are interested in finding out more information on the majestic Giant Sungazer!! As you navigate through this site I hope my passion, enthusiasm and total awe of these fascinating lizards becomes apparent.
Many of you will have come up against a distinct lack of quality information on this species, either in books and on the internet. I have spent many hours collecting and compiling the scattered information, while conversing verbally and in writing with people from all across the world. I hope this web site will go some way to address this lack of information. I do not consider myself a world authority on this species or even any sort of expert. I have however collected a wealth of information and had several years practical experience of keeping this species in captivity.
With the launch of this site I hope to bring together organisations and individuals throughout the world to share their own first- hand experiences of this species, whether it be privately, within zoological collections or in the wild.
This web site should be seen as an ever evolving source of information and as more information is exchanged between keepers of this species it may be necessary to amend certain aspects of this site. This is something I am happy to do as and when creditable, substantiated information or observations become available.
First described in 1844 by the Scottish naturalist, Dr. Sir Alan Smith, the species is known by many different names, the most common being; Giant Sungazer, Giant Girdled Lizard, Zonure or Ouvolk. People often confuse this species with other members of the Cordylid family, most commonly the Cordylus cataphractus, the Armadillo Lizard which grabs its tail and rolls into a ball to protect its soft under belly. To my knowledge there is no record of a Cordylus giganteus exhibiting this behaviour.
Cordylus tropidosternum and Cordylus jonesii are often referred to as Dwarf Sungazers. This again is incorrect, as neither of these species posture towards the sun to the same extent as Cordylus giganteus.
Sungazers are heavily armoured lizards hence one of their common names, the Girdled Lizard. This is derived from the rows of ossified, bony scales along their body. These scales or osteoderms are heavily keeled and are arranged in uniform rings or girdles around the body. The name Ouvolk, is from the ancient Afrikaans language spoken by early Dutch settlers and roughly translates into "Old Folk", supposedly referring to its tendency of sitting at the entrance of the burrow facing the sun for many hours on end. Universally, the most commonly used name, Sungazer is also derived from this posturing. The name Zonure derives from the old scientific name Zonure giganteus, the name it was known by before its re-classification under the Cordylus genus.
The name 'giant' suggests that these animals are large in stature. This is true when compared to the other forty plus species of the Cordylus genus. Adults reach a size of about 38 centimetres (14.6 inches) from snout to tail tip, are dark brown in colour on their upper body becoming a yellow-straw colour on their flanks and underside. Younger animals are more colourful with yellow and black bars or stripes on their body, which fades as they mature.
Giant Sungazers are endemic to South Africa. Scattered populations are found where suitable habitat exists throughout the North Eastern Free State, South Eastern Mpumalanga & West Kwazulu-Natal.
South Africa has four distinct seasons. During the winter months of June to August, temperatures can drop to as low as -8 degrees centigrade with very low precipitation. A thick blanket of snow is not unheard of during the winter months. Sungazers rarely venture above ground during this time and therefore rely on their fat reserves to see them through to the Spring. During the months of November to March temperatures can reach as high as 38 degrees centigrade with high precipitation. During this time however, humidity would appear to be relatively low. During the summer months daylight lasts around 14 hours, decreasing to around 10 hours during the colder, winter months. See the attached graph and the real time weather report on the front page for further details on current and average weather information.
> Graph showing temperature, precipitation and humidity.
Sungazers live in self-dug burrows on the gently sloping Themeda grassland of South Africa's highveld plateau. Typical Sungazer habitat can be as high as 1,500-1,600 metres (4,920 - 5,250 feet) above sea level. Since there would appear to be no mound at the entrance to these burrows, this suggests that excavation takes place little by little, over many years (Langerwerf, 2001). Burrows are typically about 1.8 metres (5.9 feet) long, 30 - 45 centimetres (11.8 - 17.7 inches) wide and approximately 1 metre (3.2 feet) below ground. There is no enlarged chamber at the end of these burrows however the end may be slightly orientated towards the surface. Due to the high rainfall during the summer months, inhabitants must vacate their burrow for higher, drier, ground or survive in the air pocket that is created in this upturned end of the burrow.
Several animals will live together in a colony with most burrows facing in a North or Northwesterly direction. This orientation towards the sun helps them soak up the maximum amount of ultra-violet rays as they lie at the entrance to their burrow during the day.
These colonies consist of both males and females with burrows being roughly 10 metres (32.8 feet) apart. Males do not appear to hold sway over a territory or group (harem) of females and fights between animals are rare. If anything, research would suggest that it is the females who are more quarrelsome as they seek out the best burrows, although fights are rare and brief. It is widely recognised that only one adult animal lives in each burrow. Juvenile animals may remain with their mothers for the first few months before being evicted and forced to excavate their own bolt hole. Several species of anurans (frogs and toads) have been found in active Sungazer burrows. These amphibians, which include Dainty Frogs - Cacosternum boettgeri, Running Frogs - Kassina wealii, Caco Frogs - Caco sp. and Guttural Toads - Bufo gutturalis, are not eaten by the lizards and appear to be of no benefit to the burrow owner.
The burrows serve two main purposes: primarily they offer some degree of protection from both land and ariel predators and secondly, being cold-blooded afford them protection from the harsh temperatures above ground during the winter months.
As they sit at the entrance to their burrows, the Giant Sungazer is alert to danger from both land and air. Badgers, jackals and birds of prey pose the greatest, natural threat to an adult Sungazer. Due to the fact that Cordylus giganteus is not as fleet-footed as some of the smaller Cordylidae, an adult Sungazer will rarely venture far from the safety of its bolt hole. The tall grass of the Themeda, in relation to the size of a Sungazer, makes it difficult for the lizard to detect approaching danger. Termite mounds are often used to gain a better vantage point. Being part of a community also helps in the detection of potential predators as there are many pairs of eyes on the lookout for danger. When danger threatens, several animals may bolt for and enter the same burrow. Should a predator try to extract the lizard from its underground refuge, the Sungazers first line of defence is to huff and puff loudly. This is similar to the sound of a Common Puff Adder - Bitis arietans. Unsurprisingly very few animals will risk sticking their noses into a burrow occupied by a Puff Adder!! If this fails to deter an attacker the lizard will anchor itself within the burrow by inflating its body with air and thrusting its occipital (back of the head) spines into the roof of the tunnel. The Sungazer will also thrash its 'club like' tail in the face of its adversary. This is usually sufficient to deter all but the most determined of predators. Sungazers have extremely strong tails, they do however have the ability to regenerate them should they be lost.
The diet of a wild Sungazer is made up primarily of insects, particularly those of the Coleoptera taxa - aka winged beetles. Ever the opportunist, they will not pass up the opportunity to add a small vertebrate, such as a mouse or vole to their diet should one venture too close. Even more surprisingly is the fact that wild Sungazers have been observed feeding on carrion. Since grazing animals are common and an inevitable by-product is large amount of dung, these attract many insects, which in turn attract the Sungazers.
Sungazers share their grassland habitat with cattle and other grazing ungulates. These animals pose no direct threat and are allowed to move freely within the colony however the lizard will retreat into the relative safety of its burrow if they get too close. Despite this, injuries to both the Sungazers and the grazing cattle are common as burrows give way under the weight of a 590.91 kilogram (1,300 pounds) beast. For the farmer, the danger of prized cattle breaking their leg is not an attractive proposition and makes Sungazers an unwelcome neighbour.
The most pressing threat to the Sungazer is habitat loss from land owners who wish to use the fertile soil of the themeda for growing crops and grazing cattle. Indiscriminate collecting for the illegal pet trade and the traditional medicine market have all had a detrimental impact on wild populations. These factors, coupled with the Sungazers low reproductive rate, have led to them being classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species and under annex II of CITES.
Giant Sungazers were once common in the pet trade. Nowadays, when available, they command a very high price tag. In recent times (2008 - 2009) more and more animals have been imported into Europe and the United States, the legality of these animals is, on the surface at least, legitimate. How does one prove that the animals were born in captivity or were obtained legally? Unfortunately there is no way of telling an illegal animal from a legal one once it has the correct documentation. South Africa has very strict export laws and I would like to think that all animals being offered are legitimate. Should these animals turn out to be obtained illegally, their presence in the hobby does nothing to help in the conservation of this species in the wild.
It goes without saying that captive conditions should try to mimic, as closely as possible, conditions a Sungazer would be subjected to in the wild. Adult Sungazers may take several seasons to adjust to the surroundings of an artificial enclosure. Patience is an great virtue when dealing with this species.
When one thinks of Africa, one could be forgiven for thinking that these animals require high temperatures in which to thrive. In many ways, when dealing with animals from this region, South Africa, this could not be further from the truth. The biggest mistake people make with this species is that they keep them in conditions which are too hot. Sungazers are in fact subject to seasonal temperature, light and humidity cycles. It is important that these conditions are replicated in captivity. I have created a table to show diurnal highs, nocturnal lows, light cycles, humidity levels and the precipitation experienced during particular months of the year. See the real time weather report on the front screen and the weather charts on the Wild Populations page.
Heliothermic (sun-basking) lizards, such as the Sungazer, require vitamin D 3 to function properly. These lizards obtain most of this by spending many hours each day gazing towards the sun. Vitamin D 3 is obtained from the absorption of the ultraviolet wavelength UV-B, which is present in the suns rays. UV-A is also obtained via this method and this helps promote the general health of the animal. Once 'fully charged' Sungazers are active lizards but deliberate in their movements so as not to waste precious energy. In captivity a good quality full spectrum Ultraviolet light is essential. Additional vitamins are obtained via supplements which are added to the Sungazers food items, more on this later.
In my opinion, Giant Sungazers do not lend themselves to being kept in traditional vivaria. Heat and humidity in these enclosures is usually far too high. Air quality is also important and they seem to fair far better when housed in open-topped enclosures. Better still would be an outdoor enclosure, perhaps a greenhouse, where conditions could be manipulated in such a way that they do not get too hot or too cold. Enclosures should be as large as possible as wild Sungazer burrows are roughly 10 metres apart. For most, this amount of living space is hard to replicate.
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a happy and healthy Sungazer in captivity is the provision of a burrow or burrow substitute. Failure to provide Sungazers with a sub-terranian retreat will lead to highly strung animals, incite conflict and deprive them of one of the most fundamental aspects of their life cycle. Having said this, allowing captive animals to dig their own burrows could present logistical problems when your animal needs to be caught or when routine maintenance of the enclosure is required. The use of semi-circular roofing tiles has worked well for many a keeper. These afford the Sungazer the safety and security of a sub-terranian retreat without the risk of tunnel collapse during enclosure maintenance.
Previously, the recommended substrate for use in the Sungazer enclosure was a mixture of gravel and rocks. As we know, Sungazers are not rupicolous (rock dwelling) so how this recommendation came about is anyone's guess!! Being such a heavy animal, Sungazers are poor climbers and thus do not require any rocks in their enclosure, in fact the use of rocks within the enclosure is discouraged as an animal could easily become trapped underneath. Schwier (2007) recommends a clay and sand mix with turf / sod on top. I would suggest that this is a far more natural substrate for your animals. It is worth noting that this top layer of turf may have to be changed every 6-8 months. Another important aspect of using this medium is that some turf rolls contain nylon twine which is used to help bind the roll together. This is an obvious danger to your animals and must be removed before use in an enclosure. This top layer of turf can be cut in such a fashion to fit snugly into corners and over burrow entrances.
Another important point to remember regarding substrate is the risk of it being ingested. The fact that these lizards do not conform to the normal eating habits of most other lizards accentuates this risk. Typically a Sungazer will simply open its mouth and engulf the prey item. A little substrate is of little concern, larger pieces of substrate may however cause an obstruction and cause your animal to refuse food for several days.
In captivity Giant Sungazers should be offered a variety of insect food items. The most common are crickets, locusts and mealworms. Superworms - Zoophobas morio are also eagerly consumed. These should be dusted with a good quality vitamin powder prior to being offered to your animals. Limit the amount of insects you feed, all should be eaten within about half an hour of being offered. Uneaten food can become a real annoyance to your lizards. Langerwerf (2001) reported that his captive animals seemed to suffer from re-occurring eye infections. This he attributed to a deficient amount of carotenes in the diet. This was rectified by gut loading feeder insects with carrots, sweet potatoes and leafy greens prior to them being consumed by his Sungazers. A friend of mine in South Africa confirmed that wild gazers also feed on carrion. I must admit i was a little surprised to hear this as movement seems to be the stimuli for other insect eating lizards, then again, Sungazers are not your typical lizard species!! Good quality cat food is offered by some to substitute this aspect of a Sungazers diet. One person i spoke too, who kept Giant Sungazers many years ago, confirmed that he also fed his animals leafy greens. To date, I only have this one account of Sungazers accepting greens. Giant Sungazers have a very efficient metabolism, and should be fed less than other lizards of similar size.
Another basic necessity is fresh water, this should be available at all times but must not increase the overall humidity of the enclosure. Fogel (2000) observed his captive animals using a large water bowl with great regularity both for drinking and bathing. This behaviour may not be so alien as one might think as this species will, on an annual basis, experience substantial rainfall during the summer months.
Captive Sungazers can be rather skittish, retreating into their burrow head first at the first sign of a perceived danger. Through time they should become more confident and less inclined to scatter. Sungazers rarely bite, they can however wield their 'club like' tail to great effect, causing a painful wound. These are long lived creatures with captive animals reportedly living in excess of 20 years.
It goes without saying that the environment in which these animals are kept should be cleaned regularly. To make it easier, Giant Sungazers will select an area of the enclosure to 'do their business', this latreen makes cleaning them out that little bit easier. I would think that this behaviour is indicative with their communal living arrangements. Faeces scattered throughout a colony could harbour disease and infections. It is much better and more socially acceptable, to have a, excuse the pun, dumping ground!!
Care must be taken when introducing a new animal to an established group. A new pecking order will have to be established and squabbles are to be expected. The larger the group the less likely this conflict is likely to occur as there are more individuals to disperse the aggression. New animals must be subjected to a period of quarantine to help prevent the transfer of pathogens between individuals.
It is perfectly legal to keep a Giant Sungazer in captivity without any specific documentation. The only requirements for these CITES annex II listed animals is that the correct import and export paperwork be obtained. I would suggest asking for a copy of this document should you purchase directly from an importer. If you purchase from any other source, i would ask for a receipt confirming the origins of the animal. Although not an official document it does give some degree of protection if the legal status of your animals ever comes into question.
Let's face it, the aim of most keepers is to be able to breed the Giant Sungazer in captivity on a regular basis. For the majority, this feat has proved illusive. I hope with the exchange of information via this site this can become a more common occurrence in both zoos and private collections round the world.
For those individuals who have had success in breeding, correct conditioning of both males and females seems to be the single most important factor. After the winter period of inactivity, sexually mature males will develop viable sperm upon the onset of warmer weather. The increased daylight and large volume of rainfall during the spring and summer months seems to trigger the males into breeding. Females give birth to between 1 and 3 live young during the months of January - April. I have it on good authority that one exceptional female actually produced 5 young!! Research on wild populations would indicate that breeding takes place only every 2 - 3 years. The ability to lay down enough fat resource during the period of activity seems to determine whether the female will be physically able to reproduce the following season. Another possible reason for this low reproductive rate is that as a group-living lizard, survival rate is most likely greater than other non-communal living species and thus far greater resources can be invested into fewer young as neonates need not disperse to fend for themselves. Sungazers are ovoviviparous ( produce live young ) and produce young measuring between 11 - 15 centimetres (4.3 - 5.9 inches).
Thankfully for the females, the young are born with soft spines that harden as they get older. Youngsters will remain under the protection of their mother and within the safety of her burrow for several months. Young animals have often been observed, both in the wild and in captivity, hitching a ride on the back of their mothers. It is not known for sure why they do this but what better place to soak up the sun or to avoid predation than on the back of your armour plated parent? Care must be taken as males have been known to cannibalise on youngsters, even their own!! Sexual maturity is reached after 3-4 years. The actual length of gestation is up for debate. Most of the individuals I have spoken to have suggested a period of between 4 - 6 months. Others report up to 18 months, I would suggest that this is a case of the female opting to retain sperm until the following year rather than a normal gestation period. The problem with Sungazers is the fact that they spend much of their time underground, it is highly probable that mating could take place here, unseen. It would seem plausible that young must be afforded sufficient time to lay down fat reserves to see them through their first winter. The greatest and most consistent success has been from individuals or establishments that are able to replicate the Sungazers natural colonial living habits. Having multiple males and females seems to trigger better breeding activity. Having said that, this may be just down to a better 'law of averages' in the fact that there are more opportunities to produce young!! A single, male - female pair are just as likely to produce offspring provided proper cycling and conditioning are observed. Males do not seem to hold sway over a territory ( other than their own burrow ) nor do they have a harem of females, this would suggest that Sungazers are promiscuous and do not pair off.
Male Sungazers are unique among other males of the Cordylid family in that they have enlarged scales on their forelimbs. In keeping with many other species, the male Sungazer also has larger femoral pores on the hind legs when compared to those of the female. Males may also secrete a waxy substance from their vent area. Otherwise males and females are similar in appearance both in terms of size and colour.
As stated by the late, Bert Langerwerf it would be a shame if Sungazers were widely available at a time when little was known on their captive requirements or reproductive stimuli. Now as we are beginning to understand their requirements the species becomes virtually unobtainable. I would suggest a two pronged action plan for the long-term future of this species, firstly and most important is to halt the destruction of the native South African habitat in which these animals depend. Second is to increase the success rate of captive breeding programmes with the potential, if need be, for reintroduction.
I wish to begin a Studbook of all the private enthusiasts and zoological collections that maintain the Giant Sungazer. Anyone can register their animals through this scheme. There is no formal requirement to become part of this studbook, and you can, if you wish register under an assumed name. Remember however the information is only as good as the information I receive.
The European Studbook Federation holds information on animals kept within Europe, to my knowledge, there is no such up to date record of animals kept out with the EU by either private enthusiasts or zoological establishments. Let me formally invite everyone, it doesn't matter if you have 1 or 100 animals, to join the Cordylus giganteus Community, lets see if we can create an International Super Studbook!!