Description:

The titan stego-lizard is a giant member of the agamid family, one of the biggest agamids of the time. They are about 1.3 to 1.5 meters long from head to tail and can weigh 1.2 to 3.5 kilograms. They are generally reddish-brown to orange, but they are different color morphs. They can be melanistic, pie-balded, and albino. These color morphs are far more common when compared other reptiles mainly due to their defensive adaptations. They have a boxy head with a thick body and tail. They are relatively conservative in terms of body structure, but their tails differ from the Uromastyx genus. They have 16 to 18 spikes that run along the side of the tail. They also have osteoderms that run along the tail. They have long lifespans due to their defensive adaptations, so they live about 60 to 70 years.

Distribution:

They are native to open grassland, dry savanna, thorn-scrub, and the Karoo to the Congo Savannah and southern regions of the African continent.

Diet:

They eat grasses, tough plants, and other herbaceous plants. They get most of their water from their diet.

Reproduction:

The males often fight in battles over females. They often used their tails to stab and wrestle with each other for females. Sometimes, males die from these interactions due to the wounds and injuries. Once the males fight, the strongest among them gets to mate with the females. Female stego-lizards lay 3 to 20 eggs in a burrow. There's no breeding season for these lizards.

Defensive Behavior:

These lizards have a defensive adaptation that allows them to survive the rough environment of the Congo Savannah. The spikes on their tail are used in defense against predators. They are sometimes called thagomizers, a term for stegosaurs' tail spikes. These spikes can injure or kill, being about 15 to 20 centimeters. There have been several records of predatory animals getting their throats punctured by these lizards and dying shortly after due to blood loss. However, these lizards can sometimes have their thagomizers stuck into the animal, causing the lizard or both organisms to diet.