biology

Lawrence's girdled lizard

Lawrence's girdled lizard is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lawrence's girdled lizard rather than just read about it. In short: Lawrence's girdled lizard (Namazonurus lawrenci) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.

Key takeaways

Lawrence's girdled lizard belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lawrence's girdled lizard to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lawrence's girdled lizard from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lawrence's girdled lizard (Namazonurus lawrenci) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.

Etymology The specific name, lawrenci, is in honor of South African entomologist Reginald Frederick Lawrence.

Description N. lawrencei is small, thin, and flat for its genus. Dorsally, it is dark brown. Ventrally, it is brownish gray to whitish. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 6.5–7.0 cm (2.6–2.8 in).

Geographic range N. lawrenci is found in the Richtersveld in the province of Northern Cape, South Africa.

Habitat The preferred natural habitats of N. lawrenci are rocky areas and shrubland, at altitudes of 250–1,375 m (820–4,511 ft).

Reproduction N. lawrenci is ovoviviparous.

References

Further reading Bauer AM, Branch WR (2003). "The herpetofauna of the Richtersveld National Park, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa". Herpetological Natural History 8: 11–160. Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. ISBN 0-88359-042-5. (Cordylus lawrenci, pp. 189–190 + Plate 68). FitzSimons VFM (1939). "Descriptions of some new species and subspecies of lizards from South Africa". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 20 (1): 5–16. (Zonurus lawrenci, new species). Stanley EL, Bauer AM, Jackman TR, Branch WR, Mouton PLFN (2011). "Between a rock and a hard polytomy: Rapid radiation in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58: 53–70. (Namazonurus lawrenci, new combination).

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lawrence's girdled lizard

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lawrence's girdled lizard claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lawrence's girdled lizard before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lawrence's girdled lizard ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lawrence's girdled lizard

In research: Lawrence's girdled lizard appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lawrence's girdled lizard in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lawrence's girdled lizard is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics IUCN Red List least concern species, Lizard stubs, Namazonurus, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lawrence's girdled lizard outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lawrence's girdled lizard in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lawrence's girdled lizard means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lawrence's girdled lizard out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lawrence's girdled lizard in simple terms?

Lawrence's girdled lizard (Namazonurus lawrenci) is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to South Africa.

Why does Lawrence's girdled lizard matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lawrence's girdled lizard?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lawrence's girdled lizard.