Added 22 April 2026.
A striking looking species from South America, easily recognisable by the short flattened tail covered in spikes. The Reptile Database entry links to photographs.
Boulenger characterised the genus as follows: tympanum distinct. Body depressed; no dorsal crest; dorsal lepidosis heterogeneous. Upper head-scales small. A strong transverse gular fold; no gular sac. Digits compressed, with keeled lamellae inferiorly. A few femoral pores. Tail short or moderate, flat, or cylindrical, with whorls of spinose scales. Lateral teeth tricuspid; pterygoid teeth. No sternal fontanelle. Abdominal ribs.
Brief care instructions can be found in Bosch and Werning. I have not seen any of this species offered for sale, though they may have been in the past.
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
Hoplocercus |
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H. spinosus |
Spiny Weapontail |
Brazil, Bolivia |
TL approx 13.5 cm, SVL approx 9 cm (max SVL 10.5 cm, Avila-Pires) |
This species is known from areas of cerrado and areas of complex interdigitation between cerrado [neotropical savannah] and forest. They have been reported living in holes 30-40 cm deep in the ground, closed end dilated, entrance 2-4 cm in diameter. Another observer reported them from gallery forest, in a region of cerrado; the lizards were in holes in the ground, under stones. The same observer noted that the lizard stayed in the hole with its tail toward the entrance. When it was tried to pull it out, the lizard inflated its body, pressing it against the walls of the hole. Another source stated that H. spinosus stays in holes (which it digs) in daytime, and only comes to the surface at dusk. This behaviour was apparently replicated by a captive specimen in the 1950s which for the most part stayed out of the light and only rarely sat in “the sun” (a UV light?) for a few hours [Avila-Pires 1995]. Description: head longer than broad; loreal region perpendicular; nostril below the canthus rostralis, a little nearer the orbit than the end of the snout; tympanum a little larger than the eye-opening, without marginal denticulation. Upper head-scales very small, convex, obtusely keeled ; occipital scarcely enlarged. Sides and lower surface of neck strongly plicate. Body slightly depressed, strongly plicate on the sides. Dorsal scales small, irregular, obtusely keeled, juxtaposed, intermixed with larger, obtusely keeled or spinose tubercles forming irregular transverse series; lateral scales minute, granular, intermixed with small tubercles; ventral scales squarish, smooth, larger than dorsals. Gular scales granular. Limbs short; the adpressed hind limb reaches the axilla; some large spinose tubercles on the femur and tibia; digits short. 3-5 femoral pores on each side. Tail: about as long as the distance between the end of the snout and the fore limb, flat, as broad as the body, ending in a point; the scales on its upper surface of unequal size, rugose, keeled and spinose, with a series of larger ones along the middle; largest of all, forming long curved spines, are the scales of the outer series on each side; infracaudal scales small, smooth, like the ventrals. Coloration: brown above, spotted. with blackish and yellowish; an oblique yellowish band on the shoulder; lower surfaces whitish; middle of belly and an inverted-T-shaped figure on the throat black. See also Avila-Pires for more detailed descriptions. [SOURCE: Avila-Pires, Boulenger] |