Biology:Acanthodactylus
| Acanthodactylus | |
|---|---|
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| A. boskianus asper in Jordan | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Acanthodactylus Wiegmann, 1834[1] |
| Species | |
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ca. 40. See text. | |
Acanthodactylus is a genus of lacertid lizards, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered lizards, fringe-toed lizards (though the latter common name is also used for the New World lizard genus Uma), and spiny-toed lizards.
Geographic range
The approximately 40 species in the genus Acanthodactylus are native to a wide area in North Africa, southern Europe and Western Asia; across the 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
- ↑ "Acanthodactylus ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Salvador A (1982). "A revision of the lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus (Sauria: Lacertidae)". Bonn. Zool. Monogr. (16): 1–167.
- ↑ "Acanthodactylus ". The Reptile Database. http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/advanced_search?genus=Acanthodactylus&submit=Search.
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
Wikidata ☰ Q481678 entry
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