Weapontail

The weapontail or Brazilian spiny-tailed lizard (Hoplocercus spinosus) is a lizard belonging to the monotypic genus Hoplocercus.[1] It is found in the Cerrado and adjacent Cerrado–Amazon mosaics in Brazil and Bolivia.[1] It is a quite distantly related of the other members of Hoplocercidae, as it is believed to have diverged from these about 35 million years ago.[1]

The weapontail has a total length of about 12–15 cm (4.5–6 in).[2] As suggested by its name, it has a short, highly spiny tail (it is superficially similar to Uromastyx and the smaller species in Ctenosaura); when disturbed, it retreats to its burrow with the tail orientated towards the entrance.[1] It is nocturnal, and feeds on arthropods.[1]