Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard
Published August 12, 2011 | 
(Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis)
The
Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx spp.) is a medium to large sized, heavily
built lizard with a spiny club like tail, which has been likened to a small
living dinosaur. They
are ground dwelling and live in some of the most arid regions of the planet
including northern Africa, the Middle East, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and north-western India.
The
generic name (Uromastyx) is derived from the Ancient Greek words
ourá (οὐρά)
meaning “tail” and mastigo (Μαστίχα) meaning “whip” or “scourge”, after
the thick-spiked tail characteristic of the species. The
Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis) is
most common in Saudi Arabia and is the one that occurs in Dhahran and is
generally regarded as a subspecies of the Egyptian Spiny-tailed Lizard
(Uromastyx aegyptia). It is locally known to the Arabs as ‘Dhub’
(Arabic:’ضب‘).
The main diagnostic character of the genus is the highly specialised tooth-like
bony structure replacing the incisor teeth in the upper jaw in adults. The
Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard can be distinguished from Egyptian Spiny-tailed
Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia aegyptia) by lacking enlarged tubercular
scales scattered over the scalation of the flanks, having 149‑193
(mean 171.8) ventral scales rather than 126 – 158 (mean 142). Other features
include a smaller scale size and more colourful yellow or greenish colour when
warmed-up in adult specimens of Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard. It is distinguished
from Uromastyx leptieni by a different juvenile colour pattern and a
higher number of ventrals. ( to see more wonferful animals like this go to http://www.birdsofsaudiarabia.com/ )
Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx spp.) is a medium to large sized, heavily
built lizard with a spiny club like tail, which has been likened to a small
living dinosaur. They
are ground dwelling and live in some of the most arid regions of the planet
including northern Africa, the Middle East, Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and north-western India.
The
generic name (Uromastyx) is derived from the Ancient Greek words
ourá (οὐρά)
meaning “tail” and mastigo (Μαστίχα) meaning “whip” or “scourge”, after
the thick-spiked tail characteristic of the species. The
Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis) is
most common in Saudi Arabia and is the one that occurs in Dhahran and is
generally regarded as a subspecies of the Egyptian Spiny-tailed Lizard
(Uromastyx aegyptia). It is locally known to the Arabs as ‘Dhub’
(Arabic:’ضب‘).
The main diagnostic character of the genus is the highly specialised tooth-like
bony structure replacing the incisor teeth in the upper jaw in adults. The
Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard can be distinguished from Egyptian Spiny-tailed
Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia aegyptia) by lacking enlarged tubercular
scales scattered over the scalation of the flanks, having 149‑193
(mean 171.8) ventral scales rather than 126 – 158 (mean 142). Other features
include a smaller scale size and more colourful yellow or greenish colour when
warmed-up in adult specimens of Arabian Spiny-tailed Lizard. It is distinguished
from Uromastyx leptieni by a different juvenile colour pattern and a
higher number of ventrals. ( to see more wonferful animals like this go to http://www.birdsofsaudiarabia.com/ )
