Cordylus niger
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Cordylus niger, the black girdled lizard, is a medium-sized lizard restricted to Table Mountain on the Cape Peninsula and a second, isolated population near Langebaan. Black girdled lizards inhabit rocky outcrops on Table Mountain, South Africa. Unlike many other lizard species in the area, these particular Cordylus lizards are not social and are usually seen alone. They are spiny, flat, and pitch black in colour.
Their colour helps these unique lizards to absorb sufficient heat from the sun, in what is one of the darkest, least sunny parts of South Africa. Branch, B., 1998. Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa: Ralph Curtis Books Publishing, Sanibel Island, Florida, 399 p.
Fitzsimons, V. F., 1943. The Lizards of South Africa: Transvaal Museum Memoir, Pretoria. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black Girdled Lizard sighting in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 2,111 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 41 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Black Girdled Lizard in Table Mountain National Park on a given day, against about 30% in July, the lowest month.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Girdled Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Black Girdled Lizard sightings, Table Mountain National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Girdled Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Table Mountain National Park (2,111 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.
