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Uromastyx aegyptia

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

Common names

Common names for U. aegyptia include Egyptian mastigure, Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard, and, when referring to the subspecies Uromastyx aegyptia leptieni (see below), Leptien's mastigure.

Description

U. aegyptia is one of the largest members of its genus, with an average total length (including tail) of for males.

Geographic range and conservation status

U. aegyptia can be found in Egypt east of the Nile, Israel, Syria, Jordan, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran. It has a patchy distribution and is rare in most parts of its range. It is believed to be in decline because of habitat loss and over-harvesting.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

  • Uromastyx aegyptia aegyptia
  • Uromastyx aegyptia leptieni
  • Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis

Etymology

The subspecific name, leptieni, is in honor of German herpetologist Rolf Leptien.

Economic use

U. aegyptia is locally known as dhab or ḍabb (). Its strong skin made good leather for the bedouins, while its meat was often considered as an alternative source of protein.

Habitat

U. aegyptia lives in open, flat, gravelly, stony, and rocky areas at elevations up to above sea level.

References

Further reading

  • Blanford WT (1874). "Descriptions of two Uromasticine Lizards from Mesopotamia and Southern Persia". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1874: 656–661 + Plate LXXX. (Uromastix [sic] microlepis, new species, pp. 658–660 + Plate LXXX).
  • ForskÃ¥l P (1775). Descriptiones Animalium, Avium, Amphibiorum, Piscium, Insectorum, Vermium; quæ in Itinere Orientali Observit. Copenhagen: Möller. 164 pp. (Lacerta ægyptia, new species, p. 13). (in Latin).
  • , (2008). The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. (Monographs of the Societas Herpetologica Italica). Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. .
  • , (2000). "A new Uromastyx species from south-eastern Arabia, with comments on the taxonomy of Uromastyx aegyptia (FORSKÅL, 1775) (Squamata: Sauria: Agamidae)". Herpetozoa 13 (3/4): 133–148. (Uromastyx leptieni, new species, pp. 142–146, Figures 3–9). (in English, with an abstract in German).

External links