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Uromastyx [1] | |
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Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard ( Uromastyx aegyptia ) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Agamidae |
Subfamily: | Uromasticinae |
Genus: | Uromastyx Merrem, 1820 |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
Jeddaherdan |
Uromastyx is a genus of African and Middle East or West 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 night time or when danger appears. They tend to establish themselves in hilly, rocky areas with good shelter and accessible vegetation.
The generic name Uromastyx is derived from the Ancient Greek words ourá (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and -mastix (μάστιξ) meaning "whip" or "scourge", after the thick-spiked tail characteristic of all Uromastyx species. [2]
The following species are in the genus Uromastyx. [3] Three additional species were formerly placed in this genus, but have been moved to their own genus, Saara . [3] [4]
Image | Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution |
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Uromastyx acanthinura Bell, 1825 | North African mastigure, North African spiny-tailed lizard | Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Western Sahara, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Sudan | |
Uromastyx aegyptia (Forskål, 1775) | Egyptian mastigure, Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard | Egypt and the Middle East. | |
Uromastyx alfredschmidti Wilms & Böhme, 2001 | ebony mastigure, Schmidt's mastigure, Schmidt's spiny-tailed lizard | Algeria and Libya. | |
Uromastyx benti (J. Anderson, 1894) | Bent's mastigure, Yemeni spiny-tailed lizard | Oman and Yemen. | |
Uromastyx dispar Heyden, 1827 | Sudan mastigure | Mauritania, Sudan, Chad, Western Sahara, Algeria, and Mali. | |
Uromastyx geyri (L. Müller, 1922) | Geyr's dabb lizard, Geyr's spiny-tailed lizard, Sahara mastigure, Saharan spiny-tailed lizard, Saharan yellow uromastyx, yellow Niger uromastyx | Algeria, Mali, and Niger. | |
Uromastyx macfadyeni H. Parker, 1932 | Macfadyen's mastigure [5] | Somalia | |
Uromastyx nigriventris Rothschild & Hartert, 1912 | Moroccan spiny-tailed lizard | Morocco and Algeria. | |
Uromastyx occidentalis Mateo, Geniez, López-Jurado & Bons, 1999 | Western Sahara | ||
Uromastyx ocellata Lichtenstein, 1823 | ocellated spinytail, eyed dabb lizard, ocellated uromastyx | southern Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia (near the Somali border), and northwestern Somalia | |
Uromastyx ornata Heyden, 1827 | ornate mastigure | Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen | |
Uromastyx princeps O’Shaughnessy, 1880 | princely spiny-tailed lizard, princely mastigure, Somalian mastigure | Somalia, Ethiopia | |
Uromastyx shobraki Wilms & Schmitz, 2007 | Yemen | ||
Uromastyx thomasi H. Parker, 1930 | Omani spiny-tailed lizard, Thomas's mastigure | Oman | |
Uromastyx yemenensis Wilms & Schmitz, 2007 | South Arabian spiny-tailed lizard | Yemen | |
Nota bene : A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Uromastyx.
Uromastyx species range in size from 25 cm (10 in) for U. macfadyeni to 91 cm (36 in) or more for U. aegyptia . Hatchlings or neonates are usually no more than 7–10 cm (3–4 in) in length.[ citation needed ] Like many reptiles, these lizards' colors change according to the temperature and season. [6] During cool weather they appear dull and dark, but the colors become lighter in warm weather, especially when basking. The darker pigmentation allows their skin to absorb sunlight more effectively.
Their spiked tail is muscular and heavy, and is able to be swung at an attacker with great velocity, usually accompanied by hissing and an open-mouthed display of (small) teeth. [7] Uromastyx generally sleep in their burrows with their tails closest to the opening, in order to thwart intruders. [7]
Uromastyx inhabit a range stretching through most of North and Northeast Africa, the Middle East, ranging as far east as Iran. Species found further east are now placed in the genus Saara . [4] Uromastyx occur at elevations from sea level to well over 900 m (3,000 ft). They are regularly eaten, and sold in produce markets, by local peoples.
Uromastyx lizards acquire most of the water they need from the vegetation they ingest.[ citation needed ] In the wild they generally eat any surrounding vegetation. When hatching, baby Uromastyx eat their own mother's feces as their first meal before heading off to find a more sustainable food source. They do this to establish a proper gut flora, essential for digesting the plants that they eat.
In the wild, adult U. dispar maliensis have been reported to eat insects at certain times of the year, when it is hot and their only food source available would be insects.[ citation needed ]
A female Uromastyx can lay anywhere from 5 to 40 eggs, depending on age and species. Eggs are laid approximately 30 days following copulation with an incubation time of 70–80 days. [8] The neonates weigh 4–6 g (0.14–0.21 oz) and are about 5 cm (2 in) snout to vent length. [8] They rapidly gain weight during the first few weeks following hatching. [8]
A field study in Algeria concluded that Moroccan spiny-tailed lizards add approximately 5 cm (2 in) of total growth each year until around the age of 8–9 years. [8]
Wild female Uromastyx are smaller and less colorful than males. For example, U. dispar maliensis females are often light tan with black dorsal spots, while males are mostly bright yellow with mottled black markings. Females also tend to have shorter claws.[ citation needed ] In captivity female U. dispar maliensis tend to mimic males in color. [9] U. dispar maliensis are, therefore, reputably difficult to breed in captivity.
Uromastyx are removed from the wild in an unregulated manner for the pet and medicinal trade in Morocco, despite their protected status in the country; conditions of the animals while being sold is often extremely poor and overcrowding is common. [10] Historically, captive Uromastyx had a poor survival rate, due to a lack of understanding of their dietary and environmental needs.[ citation needed ] In recent years, knowledge has significantly increased, and appropriate diet and care has led to survival rates and longevity approaching and perhaps surpassing those in the wild.[ citation needed ] With good care, they are capable of living for over 25 years, and possibly as old as 60.
U. dispar maliensis, known as "ḍabb" (Arabic : ضَـبْ) by peninsular Arabs, is historically consumed as food by some of the Bedouin population of the Arabian peninsula, mainly those residing in the interior and eastern regions of Arabia. [11] [12] [13] [14] This lizard used to be considered an "Arabian delicacy". [15] It is recorded that when an Uromastyx was brought to the Islamic prophet Muhammad by Bedouins, Muhammad did not eat the lizard, but Muslims were not prohibited by him from consuming it; thus Muhammad's companion Khalid bin Walid consumed the lizard. [16] [17] [18] [19]
In Judaism, this lizard is traditionally identified as the biblical tzav, one of the eight "creeping" animals forbidden for consumption that impart ritual impurity. The Torah states: “The following shall be impure for you among the creeping animals that swarm upon the earth: The weasel, and the mouse, and the dab lizard (tzav) of every variety; and the gecko, and the land-crocodile, and the lizard, and the skink, and the chameleon” (Leviticus 11:29-30). [20]
Islamic dietary laws are laws that Muslims follow in their diet. Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halal and which are haram. The dietary laws are found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as well as in collections of traditions attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
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.
Hydrosaurus, commonly known as the sailfin dragons or sailfin lizards, is a genus in the family Agamidae. These relatively large lizards are named after the sail-like structure on their tails. They are native to Indonesia and the Philippines where they are generally found near water, such as rivers and mangrove. Sailfin lizards are semiaquatic and able to run short distances across water using both their feet and tail for support, similar to the basilisks. They are threatened by both habitat loss and overcollection for the wild animal trade.
The thorny devil, also known commonly as the mountain devil, thorny lizard, thorny dragon, and moloch, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia. It is the sole species in the genus Moloch. It grows up to 21 cm (8.3 in) in total length, with females generally larger than males.
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.
Uromastyx geyri is a species of lizard belonging to the family Agamidae. The species is native to North Africa.
The shield-tailed agama, also known commonly as the dwarf shield-tailed agama, Taylor's strange agama, and the turnip-tailed agama, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Horn of Africa.
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.
The common agama, red-headed rock agama or rainbow agama is a species of lizard from the family Agamidae found in most of sub-Saharan Africa. To clear up centuries of historical confusion based on Linnaeus and other authors, Wagner et al. designated a neotype for the species, using a previously described specimen from Cameroon in the collection of the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig in Bonn. The species name was formerly applied to a paraphyletic collection of taxa ; subsequent mitochondrial DNA analysis of various populations indicates they represent separate species. Consequently, three former subspecies A. a. africana, A. a. boensis, and A. a. mucosoensis are now considered separate species, and A. a. savattieri is considered synonymous with A. africana.
Uromastyx princeps, commonly known as the princely mastigure, princely spiny-tailed lizard, or Somalian mastigure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae.
Uromastyx aegyptia is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to North Africa and the Middle East.
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.
Saara is a genus of lizards in the subfamily Uromasticinae of the family Agamidae. The genus is endemic to Asia.
Uromastyx ornata, commonly called the ornate mastigure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae.
Lepidosaur herbivory describes herbivorous lepidosaurs. Living non-avian reptiles form a paraphyletic group that consists of over 9,000 species of crocodiles, turtles, and lepidosaurs. The most diverse group, Lepidosauria, is first known from the Middle Triassic fossils, but likely originated in the Permian. Living lepidosaurs, which include snakes, lizards, and rhynchocephalians, occupy a wide range of environments and niches. The lepidosaurs have many similar anatomical morphology like transverse cloaca, distal tongue, superficial teeth attachment, fused pelvic bones etc. Though widely viewed as obligate carnivores, a small number of lepidosaurs are known to consume plant material. For example, there are roughly 3,300 species of living lizards and approximately 3% of them eat at least some plants. Though the exact definition of herbivory varies significantly between scientists, most define herbivorous lepidosaurs as those that consume plants for approximately 70-90% of its diet.
Uromastyx ocellata is a species of agamid lizard native to northeastern Africa. It is known as the ocellated spinytail, eyed dabb lizard, and ocellated uromastyx.
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.
Xenagama wilmsi, the Wilms' agama, shield-tail agama, or turnip-tail agama, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Horn of Africa.
Uromastyx benti, also known commonly as Bent's mastigure and the Yemeni spiny-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to the southeastern Arabian Peninsula.
Uromastyx dispar, the Sudan mastigure, is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in Mauritania, Sudan, Chad, Western Sahara, Algeria, and Mali.