Acanthodactylus

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Acanthodactylus
A. boskianus asper in Jordan
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Acanthodactylus
Wiegmann, 1834[1]
Species

ca. 40. See text.

Acanthodactylus is a

Uma
), and spiny-toed lizards.

Geographic range

The approximately 40

Sahara Desert, to the Iberian Peninsula, and east through the Arabian Peninsula, to Afghanistan and western India.[2]

Habitat

Though lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus prefer dry and sparsely vegetated regions, they are not strictly tied to an arid terrain; so it is not uncommon to come across them in various environments.[citation needed]

Description

Members of the genus Acanthodactylus possess the following combination of traits:[2]

  • Lacking occipital scales,
  • Flat ventral scales,
  • Fingers with three or four series of scales,
  • Toes with comb-like projections,
  • Femoral pores
    present,
  • Parietal foramen
    present.

The coloration and pattern of spots of Acanthodactylus is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species.[citation needed]

Behavior

Every saurian of the genus Acanthodactylus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species.[citation needed] The males strenuously defend the borders of their territories.[citation needed]

Reproduction

Acanthodactylus are

oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch ranges from 3 to 7. The total length of a sexually mature adult of the genus is, on average, 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in).[citation needed
]

Classification

Genus Acanthodactylus[3]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Acanthodactylus.

References

  1. ^ "Acanthodactylus ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
  2. ^ a b Salvador A (1982). "A revision of the lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus (Sauria: Lacertidae)". Bonn. Zool. Monogr. (16): 1–167.
  3. ^ "Acanthodactylus ". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 13 January 2014.

Further reading

  • Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. Lacertidæ, ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Genus Acanthodactylus, p. 58).
  • Wiegmann AFA (1834). Herpetologia Mexicana, ... Pars Prima, Saurorum Species, ... Berlin: C.G. Lüderitz. vi + 54 pp. + Plates I-X. (Acanthodactylus, new genus, p. 10). (in Latin).

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Acanthodactylus.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acanthodactylus.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acanthodactylus&oldid=1180311710"