What looks like a crocodile in x-ray vision is actually a small lizard from the genus Smaug. Because of their heavy armor, these reptiles were named after the dragon in Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” – researchers have now discovered a new species.
The evil dragon Smaug from the well-known fantasy novel “The Hobbit” lives underground in a mountain and looks pretty scary. His namesakes in the real world are also armored with a dense, alligator-like tank and prefer to retreat to hiding places underground.
However, these lizards do not spew fire and are actually quite amiable – their armor is only for their own protection. “They like to hide in crevices and are just prickly to avoid having to fight big fights,” explains Michael Bates from the National Museum in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
The Smaug lizards belonging to the belt tail family were only described as an independent genus in 2011. So far, eight species of these miniature kites native to southern Africa were known – now a ninth has been added: Smaug swazicus. As Bates and his colleagues report, the lizard they discovered is dark brown with pale yellow stripes and can be up to 33 centimeters long. Their main distribution area is in Swaziland.
But why have these mini-kites been found only now? There is a simple reason for this: at first glance, the lizards are very similar to the related species S. barbertonensis. It was only computed tomography (CT) recordings like the one shown above and DNA analyzes that finally revealed the secret that it was a separate species.
This finding is of great importance for protective measures. Because the already small distribution area of S. barbertonensis is halved again by the discovery of S. swazicus. The lizard thus occurs on an area that is smaller than the city of Chicago. However, it is not only the limited distribution area of many Smaug species that poses a potential risk for their survival. Climate change is already causing problems for the reptiles.
“These creatures have adapted perfectly to their environment. If nothing is done to protect them, we could lose 20 million years of evolution in 50 years, ”says Bates’ colleague Edward Stanley from the Florida Museum of Natural History. “It is therefore all the more important to describe and identify the animals. Only those who know what they have in front of them can make a plan to protect it. “