Uromastyx geyri
Encyclopedia
Uromastyx geyri, commonly known as the Saharan Uromastyx, Saharan Spiny-tailed Lizard or Geyr's Dabb Lizard, is a species of lizard
belonging to the family Agamidae
. It is found in rocky, semi-arid
habitats in North Africa
, its range including parts of Algeria
, Mali
and Niger
.
name (Uromastyx) is derived from the Ancient Greek
words ourá (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and mastigo (Μαστίχα) meaning "whip" or "scourge", after the thick-spiked tail characteristic of all Uromastyx species.
, with an average length of around 34 cm. This lizard is usually beige or orange with lighter spots. They are one of the brightest colored species of Uromastyx, colors of this genus are the "Red" geyri and "Yellow" geyri, color being their only difference. The red phase often being nearly solid reddish to neon pumpkin orange with the yellow in or near a neon-range. Females are a more pale color than the males, showing more tan variations of the coloring and much less belly coloring as well as less vivid patterns, most females having a simple "freckling" on the back. Saharans are a medium sized species
, many averaging 11"-14" in length, and weighing 250+ grams as adults.
This is considered to be an uncommon species but its extensive range means the population is probably large enough to sustain the current level of collection of specimens for the pet trade (the species is fairly popular as a pet, mainly in the United States
, Europe
and Japan
).
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...
belonging to the family Agamidae
Agamidae
Agamids, lizards of the family Agamidae, include more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards. Phylogenetically they may be sister to the Iguanidae, and have a similar appearance. Agamids usually have...
. It is found in rocky, semi-arid
Semi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
habitats in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, its range including parts of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
and Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
.
Taxonomy
The genericGenus
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...
name (Uromastyx) is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
words ourá (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and mastigo (Μαστίχα) meaning "whip" or "scourge", after the thick-spiked tail characteristic of all Uromastyx species.
Description
This is a small, slender species for the genusGenus
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...
, with an average length of around 34 cm. This lizard is usually beige or orange with lighter spots. They are one of the brightest colored species of Uromastyx, colors of this genus are the "Red" geyri and "Yellow" geyri, color being their only difference. The red phase often being nearly solid reddish to neon pumpkin orange with the yellow in or near a neon-range. Females are a more pale color than the males, showing more tan variations of the coloring and much less belly coloring as well as less vivid patterns, most females having a simple "freckling" on the back. Saharans are a medium sized species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, many averaging 11"-14" in length, and weighing 250+ grams as adults.
Distribution
These herbevores are native to the Saharan desert in Northern Africa. They bask in temperatures up to 130 °F (54.4 °C).This is considered to be an uncommon species but its extensive range means the population is probably large enough to sustain the current level of collection of specimens for the pet trade (the species is fairly popular as a pet, mainly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
).