Acanthodactylus
Encyclopedia
Acanthodactylus is a genus
of lizard
s within the Lacertidae
family, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered or fringe-toed lizards (though the latter name is also used for the New World lizard genus Uma).
They are native to a wide area in Africa
and southern Europe
; across the Sahara Desert, and up to the Iberian peninsula
. Though the lizards prefer dry and sparsely vegetated regions, it is not strictly tied to an arid
terrain, so it is not uncommon to come across it in various environments.
The Acanthodactylus's coloration and the pattern of its spots is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species.
Every saurian of this genus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species. The male
s strenuously defend the borders of their territories
.
The Acanthodactylus are oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch ranges from 3 to 7. The length of an adult of the species is, on average, between 18 to 20 centimeters.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s within the Lacertidae
Lacertidae
Lacertidae is the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. The group includes the genus Lacerta, which contains some of the most commonly seen lizard species in Europe...
family, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered or fringe-toed lizards (though the latter name is also used for the New World lizard genus Uma).
They are native to a wide area in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; across the Sahara Desert, and up to the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. Though the lizards prefer dry and sparsely vegetated regions, it is not strictly tied to an arid
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
terrain, so it is not uncommon to come across it in various environments.
The Acanthodactylus's coloration and the pattern of its spots is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species.
Every saurian of this genus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species. The male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
s strenuously defend the borders of their territories
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
.
The Acanthodactylus are oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch ranges from 3 to 7. The length of an adult of the species is, on average, between 18 to 20 centimeters.
Classification
Genus Acanthodactylus- Acanthodactylus ahmaddisiiAcanthodactylus ahmaddisiiAcanthodactylus ahmaddisii is a species of lizard in the Lacertidae family. It is endemic to Jordan. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.This lizard was first described in 2004....
(Endangered) - Acanthodactylus arabicus
- Acanthodactylus aureus
- Acanthodactylus bedriagai -- Bedriaga's Fringe-fingered Lizard
- Acanthodactylus beershebensis - Be'er Sheva Fringe-fingered Lizard (Critically endangered)
- Acanthodactylus blanci -- Blanc's Fringe-toed Lizard
- Acanthodactylus blanfordiiAcanthodactylus blanfordiiBlanford's Fringe-fingered Lizard Acanthodactylus blanfordii is a species of lizard.-Distribution:SE Iran, S Afghanistan, SW Pakistan and N Oman , IndiaType locality: "Perse et Béloutchistan"...
-- Blanford's Fringe-fingered Lizard - Acanthodactylus boskianus -- Bosc's Fringe-toed lizardBosc's Fringe-toed lizardBosc's Fringe-toed Lizard is a lacertid lizard found in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It is a fast lizard that lives in deserts....
- Acanthodactylus boueti
- Acanthodactylus busacki
- Acanthodactylus cantorisAcanthodactylus cantorisIndian Fringe-fingered Lizard is a species of lizard found in India and Southeast Asia.-Description:Snout acutely pointed. Four supraoculars; subocular not reaching the lip; temporal scales keeled; front edge of the ear usually rather feebly, but distinctly, denticulated...
-- Indian Fringe-fingered Lizard - Acanthodactylus dumerilii
- Acanthodactylus erythrurusAcanthodactylus erythrurusThe Red-tailed Spiny-footed Lizard , is considered to be the fastest member of the huge Lacertidae family...
-- Spiny-footed Lizard - Acanthodactylus felicis
- Acanthodactylus gongrorhynchatus
- Acanthodactylus grandis
- Acanthodactylus guineensis
- Acanthodactylus haasi
- Acanthodactylus harranensisAcanthodactylus harranensisAcanthodactylus harranensis is a species of lizard in the Lacertidae family. It is native to Turkey, and is currently known only from the ruins of the ancient city of Harran...
- Acanthodactylus lineomaculatus -- Coastal Common Fringe-toed Lizard
- Acanthodactylus longipes
- Acanthodactylus maculatus -- Spotted Fringe-fingered Lizard
- Acanthodactylus masirae
- Acanthodactylus mechriguensisAcanthodactylus mechriguensisAcanthodactylus mechriguensis is a species of lizard in the Lacertidae family.It is endemic to Tunisia.Its natural habitat is sandy shores.It is threatened by habitat loss....
(Critically endangered) - Acanthodactylus micropholis
- Acanthodactylus nilsoni
- Acanthodactylus opheodurus
- Acanthodactylus orientalis
- Acanthodactylus pardalis -- Leopard Fringe-fingered Lizard
- Acanthodactylus robustus
- Acanthodactylus savignyi -- Savigny's Fringe-fingered Lizard
- Acanthodactylus schmidti
- Acanthodactylus schreiberi -- Schreiber's Fringe-fingered Lizard
- Acanthodactylus scutellatus
- Acanthodactylus senegalensis
- Acanthodactylus spinicauda -- Doumergue's Fringe-fingered Lizard (Critically endangered)
- Acanthodactylus taghitensis
- Acanthodactylus tilburyi
- Acanthodactylus tristrami
- Acanthodactylus yemenicus