Saara hardwickii

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Saara hardwickii
AAB004 Uromastyx hardwickii 763.JPG
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Saara
Species:
S. hardwickii
Binomial name
Saara hardwickii
(Gray, 1827)
Synonyms [3] [4]
  • Uromastix hardwickii
    Gray, 1827
  • Uromastyx hardwickii
    — Das, 2002
  • Saara hardwickii
    — Wilms et al., 2009

Saara hardwickii, commonly known as Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard or the Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is found in patches across the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. It is mainly herbivorous and lives in numbers in some areas. Since it is found in loose clusters it often attracts predators such as raptors. It is also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.

Contents

Taxonomy and etymology

Traditionally the species S. hardwickii was placed in the genus Uromastyx , but in 2009 it was moved to the genus Saara together with the closely related species S. asmussi and S. loricata . [5]

The specific name, hardwickii, commemorates English naturalist Thomas Hardwicke who brought illustrations of the species from which J.E. Gray described it. [6]

It has been suggested that Uromastyx sensu lato along with the sister group of Leiolepis may be considered as a distinct family, the Uromastycidae, however this is not widely accepted as the rest of the Agamidae do not form a clear sister group. [7]

Geographic range

The type locality for S. hardwickii is Kanauj district in Uttar Pradesh. It inhabits the dry desert tracts of the northern half of the plains of India into Pakistan. It ranges from Uttar Pradesh in the east to Rajasthan in the West and the Kachchh area of Gujarat. The hot Thar desert is the stronghold of this species and are found extensively in the Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Barmer and Churu districts in Rajasthan. It is also found in some parts of Madhya Pradesh (Rewa). [8]

Local names

Description

A juvenile spiny-tailed lizard. AB014 Juvenile Uromastyx.JPG
A juvenile spiny-tailed lizard.

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard has a rounded head with a flat snout. It is usually yellowish brown, sandy or olive in colour. It may have black spots and vermiculations and a distinctive black spot on the front of the thigh. It has a dorso-ventrally flattened body with wrinkled skin. Its tail has whorls of spiny scales with large spines on the side. The tail is bluish-grey (in Jaisalmer) to sand-coloured (in Kutch).[ citation needed ]

The colour of the lizard varies and darker colours are seen during the colder seasons. [9]

Sexual dimorphism

Males of S. hardwickii range in total length (including tail) from 40 to 49 cm (16 to 19 in), and females 34 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in). The male has a longer tail than the female and pronounced femoral pores.[ citation needed ]

Photo gallery

Laggar Falcon just caught a spiny tailed lizard Laggar Falcon feeding on a spiny tailed lizard.jpg
Laggar Falcon just caught a spiny tailed lizard

A juvenile Laggar Falcon had just caught a spiny tailed lizard saara Hardwickii. It is about to start consuming the lizard. These lizards are a huge part of their diet in certain areas of Rajasthan, India.

Habits

Habitat and distribution

Generally found in firm ground habitats rather than pure sand dunes, [2] Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard is often found living in colonies, sometimes on the outskirts of villages. It prefers elevated patches of land especially in Kutch where it is invariably found on isolated patches of high ground (called Bets) above the monsoon water level. [2] Also found in Sindh at Kohistan area surrounding Karachi and Thana Bula Khan.[ citation needed ]

Predators

Birds of prey are a major predator of the Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard in the desert. The saker falcon ( Falco cherrug ) has been recorded in literature [10] but the tawny eagle ( Aquila rapax ) and other falcons such as the laggar ( Falco jugger) also prey on these lizards. [11] [12] The cattle egret has also been known to prey on it. [13]

Burrow

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard excavates a sloping zig-zagging or spiralling tunnel of 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 in) diameter and over 2 m (6.6 ft) long for itself. The tunnel has an entrance which is flush with the ground and ends in a small chamber. S. hardwickii is solitary in the burrow, but hatchlings may stay with the mother initially. [9]

The lizard basks close to the entrance of its burrow. It is very alert and smoothly slides into its burrow at the first hint of danger. The spiny-tailed hibernates through the winter and emerges in spring. By the time it is ready for hibernation, the lizard puts on long strips of fat on each side of the backbone which presumably enables it to survive the long winter months. Projected agricultural growth would cause considerable declines of Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard (>20%) populations. [14]

Food

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard is largely herbivorous and its teeth are adapted for a plant diet which comprises the flowers and fruits of the kair ( Capparis aphylla ); the beans of khejri ( Prosopis spicigera ); the fruit of Salvadora persica , and grass. In locust-breeding areas the spiny tailed lizard has been known to feed on nymphs and adults of the locust.[ citation needed ]

In summer it tends to forage more in the mornings feeding to a greater extent on insects, and in the monsoons it feeds principally on herbs and grasses. [9]

Breeding biology

S. hardwickii is oviparous. [2] [3] Sexually mature adults of Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard breed from June to September. [2] The female lays white, pigeon-sized eggs.[ citation needed ] Clutch size is 8–15 eggs. [2]

Economic importance

In India S. hardwickii is caught for its meat, about which Malcolm Smith says "... with certain castes of Hindus it is a regular article of diet ... the meat is said to be excellent and white like chicken ... the head and feet are not eaten, but the tail is considered a great delicacy ... the fat of the body is boiled down and the resulting oil is used as an embrocation and also as a cure for impotence." [15]

The fat stored in the tail of the lizard is purported to have medicinal properties and for this reason, this lizard is often illegally collected and sold in various parts of India and Pakistan for folk medicine. It is kept in captivity by the cruel practice of dislocating the backbone.[ citation needed ]

Poaching

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard is on the verge of extinction in western Rajasthan due to rampant poaching by nomads, who value this reptile both for its meat and as a medicine. During the monsoon, this lizard leaves its burrow and comes out to feed on tender shoots of grass, at which time it falls prey to raptors. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

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Agamidae is a family of over 550 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards.

<i>Uromastyx</i> Genus of lizards

Uromastyx is a genus of African and Asian lizards in the family Agamidae. Member species are commonly called spiny-tailed lizards, uromastyces, mastigures, or dabb lizards. Lizards in the genus Uromastyx are primarily herbivorous, but occasionally eat insects and other small animals, especially young lizards. They spend most of their waking hours basking in the sun, hiding in underground chambers at daytime or when danger appears. They tend to establish themselves in hilly, rocky areas with good shelter and accessible vegetation.

The spiny weapontail is a species of lizard belonging to the monotypic genus Hoplocercus in the family Hoplocercidae. The species is found in the Cerrado and adjacent Cerrado–Amazon mosaics in Brazil and Bolivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hardwicke</span> British General and naturalist

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Desert National Park is a national park situated in the Indian state of Rajasthan, near the towns of Jaisalmer and Barmer. This is one of the largest national parks, covering an area of 3162 km². The Desert National Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. Sand dunes form around 44% of the Park. The major landform consists of craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, intermedial areas and fixed dunes. The park was gazetted in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laggar falcon</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardwicke's bloodsucker</span> Species of lizard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Indian leopard gecko</span> Species of lizard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spine-bellied sea snake</span> Species of snake

The spine-bellied sea snake, also commonly known as Hardwicke's sea snake and Hardwicke's spine-bellied sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Uromastyx geyri</i> Species of lizard

Uromastyx geyri is a species of lizard belonging to the family Agamidae. The species is native to North Africa.

<i>Uromastyx alfredschmidti</i> Species of lizard

Uromastyx alfredschmidti, commonly known as the ebony mastigure, Schmidt's mastigure, or Schmidt's spiny-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is indigenous to North Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common butterfly lizard</span> Species of lizard

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<i>Uromastyx aegyptia</i> Species of lizard

Uromastyx aegyptia is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to North Africa and the Middle East.

<i>Uromastyx dispar flavifasciata</i> Species of lizard

Uromastyx dispar flavifasciata is a subspecies of spiny-tailed lizard belonging to the family Agamidae. It is found in rocky, arid and desert habitats in North Africa, its range including parts of Algeria, Mali and Niger. While sometimes considered a separate species, other treat it as a subspecies of Uromastyx dispar.

<i>Saara</i> (lizard) Genus of lizards

Saara is a genus of lizards in the subfamily Uromasticinae of the family Agamidae. The genus is endemic to Asia.

<i>Uromastyx ornata</i> Species of lizard

Uromastyx ornata, commonly called the ornate mastigure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae.

<i>Saara asmussi</i> Species of lizard

Saara asmussi, also known commonly as the Iranian mastigure and the Persian spiny-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard belonging to the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Asia.

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<i>Uromastyx benti</i> Species of lizard

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References

  1. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vyas R, Mohapatra P, Papenfuss T (2022). "Saara hardwickii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T199817A216173870.en. Accessed on 27 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 Species Saara hardwickii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ↑ Das I (2002). A Photographic Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of India. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 144 pp. ISBN   0-88359-056-5. (Uromastyx hardwickii, p. 117).
  5. ↑ Wilms TM, Böhme W, Wagner P, Lutzmann N, Schmitz A (2009). "On the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Uromastyx Merrem, 1820 (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae: Uromastycinae) – resurrection of the genus Saara Gray, 1845". Bonner zoologische Beiträge56 (1/2): 55–99.
  6. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Uromastyx hardwickii, p. 116).
  7. ↑ Honda M, Ota H, Kobayashi M, Nabhitabhata J, Yong HS, Sengoku S, Hikida T (2000). "Phylogenetic Relationships of the Family Agamidae (Reptilia: Iguania) Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Sequences". Zoological Science. 17 (4): 527–537. doi:10.2108/zsj.17.527. hdl: 2433/57223 .
  8. ↑ Chandra K, Gajbe P (March 2005). "An inventory of herpetofauna of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh" (PDF). Zoos' Print Journal. 20 (3): 1812–1819. doi:10.11609/jott.zpj.1087.1812-9. S2CID   131740631. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-24.
  9. 1 2 3 Dutta S, Jhala Y (2007). "Ecological aspects of Indian spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in Kutch". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 104 (3): 255–265.
  10. ↑ Mason, Charles W.; Maxwell-Lefroy, Harold (1911). The Food of Birds in India. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co. OCLC   69081303.
  11. ↑ Baindur, Ashwin (2009). "The raptors and the agamid". Indian Birds. 5 (1): 7–10.
  12. ↑ Hume AO (1869). My Scrap Book: or Rough Notes on Indian Oology and Ornithology. Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press. p. 69.
  13. ↑ Maurya, K.K.; Bopanna, I.P.; Dutta, S. (2009). "Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis preying on the Indian spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in Kachchh". Indian Birds. 5 (2): 48–49.
  14. ↑ Dutta, S.; Jhala, Y. (2014). Abundance and Habitat Covariates of Lesser Florican and Spiny-tailed Lizard in Kachchh, India (2008-09). PANGAEA. hdl:10013/epic.43445.
  15. ↑ Smith MA (1935). pp. 244-247.
  16. ↑ Dey, Anindo (2009). Times of India, Delhi, 13 June 2009.
  17. ↑ Knapp, Amelie (2004). "An assessment of the international trade in spiny-tailed lizards Uromastyx with a focus on the role of the European Union". Technical report to the European Commission (PDF) (Report). CITES.

Further reading

Woodcut from The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma Uromastix hardwickii.jpg
Woodcut from The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma
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