A large brown plated lizard with a reddish head resting on a rock. — Photo: Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

African Plated Lizard

Matobosaurus validus (formerly Gerrhosaurus validus)

A big, squat southern African lizard covered in plate-like scales that wedges itself into rock cracks when threatened.

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About the African Plated Lizard

African plated lizards, also called giant plated lizards, can grow to about 27.5 inches long, among the largest of the 30 kinds of plated lizards. They have thick bodies, powerful legs and plate-like scales. They live in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, and another subspecies lives in Namibia and Angola. They eat invertebrates, flowers, fruit, figs and leaves, plus small lizards and even baby tortoises.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Matobosaurus validus (formerly Gerrhosaurus validus)^[1][2]
Size: Up to about 27.5 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: About 20 years in human care.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Invertebrates, flowers, fruit, figs and leaves, plus small lizards.^[1]
Habitat: Rocky areas with ledges and cracks.^[1]
Where it lives: Southern Africa, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia and Angola.^[1]
Group life: Shy and solitary.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 5 leathery eggs that hatch after about 11 weeks.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2019).^[2]

Fun facts

It puffs up with air to wedge itself into a rock crack.^[1]
There are about 30 kinds of plated lizards.^[1]
Breeding males turn pink-purple on the chin.^[1]

Vocabulary

scale: A small, hard plate that covers the skin of reptiles and fish.
subspecies: A group within a species that lives in one area and looks a bit different.
cold-blooded: Having a body temperature that changes with the surroundings; also called ectothermic.
omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and other animals.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “African plated lizard.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/african-plated-lizard (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Matobosaurus validus (Common Giant Plated Lizard).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13152292/139766941 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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