Broadleysaurus major
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Sudan plated lizard (Broadleysaurus major), also known as the western plated lizard, great plated lizard, or Broadley's rough-scaled plated lizard, is a medium-sized, diurnal African lizard. The Sudan plated lizard is a medium-sized lizard that can grow up to 20–24 inches (51–61 cm) long, with the tail being less than half of total length. They have stout bodies, short limbs, and moderately broad tails.
This species is easily recognised by its heavily armored appearance. The body and tail is covered in transverse bands of more or less square plate-like keeled scales, and head shields are fused to the skull. The armour makes the animals look a bit like the uncommon perception of Mesozoic reptiles.
Coloration varies from tawny to grayish brown to dark brown with cream-colored spots or striping, with a pale underside. Males tend to be larger than females, and can develop bright-colored throats during breeding season.
The Sudan plated lizard can be found in parts of eastern and central Africa, including the countries Tanzania (including the island archipelago of Zanzibar), Kenya and Mozambique. They prefer rocky, semi-open areas within coastal woodland... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mombasa | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
No species of the same family or order lives in Samburu National Reserve, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sudan Plated Lizard sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 7 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Sudan Plated Lizard in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April–June, August–October and December–January, the lowest months. Those are among Samburu National Reserve's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in September.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sudan Plated Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Sudan Plated Lizard sightings, Samburu National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 20%) and Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sudan Plated Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Samburu National Reserve (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
