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The Sungazer (Smaug giganteus), a dragon-like lizard species endemic to the Highveld regions of South Africa, is facing an assault on two fronts as farming and industrialisation encroaches on its natural habitat – which already consist of only a several hundred square kilometres globally – while the illegal global pet trade is adding pressure on pushing the species into extinction.
The Sungazer lizard is listed on CITES Appendix II, which means only the “grandchildren” of wild animals (captive bred animals), may be traded, these animals have been traded in Europe since the 1800s. Since then, only one instance has been recorded of an animal successfully being bred in captivity, yet, to this day, animals are being traded on a regular basis. Sungazers can sell for thousands of dollars each internationally, with the main markets being Japan, Germany, and the USA. If caught in the possession of a Sungazer without the correct permits in South Africa, guilty parties can face up to 20 years in prison or a R5 million (South African Rand/ZAR) fine.
Shivan Parusnath, currently a PhD student at Wits University, conducted a conservation assessment of the species for his Masters research. He found that the species’ population has declined more than one/third over the last decade, and that just under half of the species’ habitat has been irreversibly transformed by humans – primarily for crop production.
Unlike the most other members of the cordylid family which live in rocky crevices, the Sungazer is a grassland specialist and lives in self-excavated burrows.
Read more at University of the Witwatersrand
Image: A sungazer lizard in its natural habitat. (Credit: Shivan Parusnath/Wits University)
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