Uromastyx hardwickii
Encyclopedia
Hardwicke's or Indian spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx hardwickii) is a species of agamid lizard
found patchily distributed in the Thar desert
, Kutch and surrounding arid zones in India
and Pakistan
. These lizards are mainly herbivorous are live in numbers in some areas. These lizards are found in loose clusters and attract raptors and predators. They are also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.
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. The specific
names commemorates Thomas Hardwicke
who brought illustrations of the species from which J. E. Gray described it.
It has been suggested that this genus along with the sister group of Leiolepis
may be considered as a distinct family, the Uromastycidae, however this is not widely accepted as the rest of the Agamidae do not form a clear sister group.
. It ranges from Uttar Pradesh in the east to Rajasthan in the West and the Kachchh area of Gujarat. The hot Thar desert
is the stronghold of this species and are found extensively in the Jaisalmer
, Barmer
and Churu
districts in Rajasthan
. It is also found in some parts of Madhya Pradesh (Rewa).
The Spiny-tailed lizard has a rounded head with a flat snout. It is usually yellowish brown, sandy or olive in colour. It may have black spots and vermiculations and a distinctive black spot on the front of the thigh. It has a dorso-ventrally flattened body with wrinkled skin. It has distinctive tail whorls of spiny scales with large spines on the side which give the lizard its name. The tail is bluish-grey (in Jaisalmer
) to sand-coloured (in Kutch).
The colour of the lizards varies and darker colours are seen during the colder seasons.
pores.
Photo gallery
water level.
Birds of prey are a major predator of the lizard in the desert. The Saker Falcon Falco cherrug has been recorded in literature but the Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax and other falcons such as the Laggar Falcon
also prey on these lizards. The Cattle Egret
has also been known to prey on it.
The lizard basks close to the entrance of its burrow. It is very alert and smoothly slides into its burrow at the first hint of danger. The spiny-tailed hibernates through the winter and emerges in spring. By the time it is ready for hibernation, the lizard puts on long strips of fat on each side of the backbone which presumably enables it to survive the long winter months.
(Capparis aphylla); the beans of khejri (Prosopis spicigera); the fruit of Salvadora persica
, and grass. In locust-breeding areas the spiny tailed lizard has been known to feed on nymphs and adults of the locust.
In summer they tend to forage more in the mornings feeding to a greater extent on insects and in the monsoons they fed principally on herbs and grasses.
...the head and feet are not eaten, but the tail is considered a great delicacy...the fat of the body is boiled down and the resulting oil is used as an embrocation and also as a cure for impotence.
The fat stored in the tail of the lizard is purported to have medicinal properties and for this reason, these lizards are often illegally collected and sold in various parts of India for folk medicine. It is kept in captivity by the cruel practice of dislocating the backbone.
Category:Uromastyx
Category:Reptiles of Asia
Category:Reptiles of Pakistan
fr:Uromastyx hardwickii
nl:Indische doornstaartagame
ja:インドトゲオアガマ
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...
found patchily distributed in the Thar desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
, Kutch and surrounding arid zones in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. These lizards are mainly herbivorous are live in numbers in some areas. These lizards are found in loose clusters and attract raptors and predators. They are also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.
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. The specific
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...
names commemorates Thomas Hardwicke
Thomas Hardwicke
Major-General Thomas Hardwicke was an English soldier and naturalist who was resident in India from 1777 to 1823. After returning to England he collaborated with John Edward Gray in the publication of Illustrations of Indian Zoology .At the age of 22, he joined the East India Company...
who brought illustrations of the species from which J. E. Gray described it.
It has been suggested that this genus along with the sister group of Leiolepis
Leiolepis
Leiolepis, commonly known as Butterfly Lizards , are group of agamid lizards of which very little is known. They are native to Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam...
may be considered as a distinct family, the Uromastycidae, however this is not widely accepted as the rest of the Agamidae do not form a clear sister group.
Distribution
The type locality for the species is Kanauj district in Uttar Pradesh. It inhabits the dry desert tracts of the northern half of the plains of India into PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It ranges from Uttar Pradesh in the east to Rajasthan in the West and the Kachchh area of Gujarat. The hot Thar desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
is the stronghold of this species and are found extensively in the Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
, Barmer
Barmer, Rajasthan
Barmer is the headquarters of the Barmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is a city and a municipality.-Origin of name:...
and Churu
Churu
Churu is a town in the desert region of Rajasthan state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Churu District. It lies in the Thar Desert on the National Highway-65 connecting Pali to Ambala and is a junction station on the railway line to Bikaner...
districts in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. It is also found in some parts of Madhya Pradesh (Rewa).
Description
Jaisalmer
Jaysalmer , nicknamed "The Golden City", is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital Jaipur. It was once known as Jaisalmer state. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, crowned by a fort, which contains the palace and several ornate Jain...
) to sand-coloured (in Kutch).
The colour of the lizards varies and darker colours are seen during the colder seasons.
Sexual Dimorphism
Male ranges from 40 to 49 cm in length while it is 34 to 40 cm in the case of the female. The male has a longer tail than the female and pronounced femoralFemoral
Femoral can refer to:* Femoral artery* Femoral vein* Femur* Femoral triangle* Femoral nerve...
pores.
Photo gallery
Habits
Generally found in firm ground rather than pure sand dunes, the spiny-tailed lizard is often found living in colonies, sometimes on the outskirts of villages. It prefers elevated patches of land especially in Kutch where it is invariably found on isolated patches of high ground (called Bets) above the monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
water level.
Birds of prey are a major predator of the lizard in the desert. The Saker Falcon Falco cherrug has been recorded in literature but the Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax and other falcons such as the Laggar Falcon
Laggar Falcon
The Laggar Falcon is a mid-sized bird of prey which occurs in the Indian subcontinent from extreme south-east Iran, south-east Afghanistan, Pakistan, through India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar....
also prey on these lizards. The Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret
The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
has also been known to prey on it.
Burrow
The spiny-tailed lizard excavates a sloping zig-zagging or spiralling tunnel of 6 to 8 cm diameter and over 2 metres long for itself. The tunnel has an entrance which is flush with the ground and ends in a small chamber. They lizards are solitary in the burrows, but hatchling lizards may stay with the mother initially.The lizard basks close to the entrance of its burrow. It is very alert and smoothly slides into its burrow at the first hint of danger. The spiny-tailed hibernates through the winter and emerges in spring. By the time it is ready for hibernation, the lizard puts on long strips of fat on each side of the backbone which presumably enables it to survive the long winter months.
Food
The spiny-tailed lizard is largely herbivorous and its teeth are adapted for a plant diet which comprises the flowers and fruits of the kairKAIR
KAIR may refer to:* KAIR , a radio station licensed to Atchison, Kansas, United States* KAIR-FM, a radio station licensed to Horton, Kansas, United States...
(Capparis aphylla); the beans of khejri (Prosopis spicigera); the fruit of Salvadora persica
Salvadora persica
Salvadora persica , is a species of Salvadora....
, and grass. In locust-breeding areas the spiny tailed lizard has been known to feed on nymphs and adults of the locust.
In summer they tend to forage more in the mornings feeding to a greater extent on insects and in the monsoons they fed principally on herbs and grasses.
Breeding Biology
Uromastyx hardwickii breed in spring after emerging from hibernation. It lays white pigeon-sized eggs.Economic importance
In India, these lizards are caught for their meat, about which Malcolm Smith says ..with certain castes of Hindoos it is a regular article of diet..the meat is said to be excellent and white like chickenTastes like chicken
"Tastes like chicken" is a common declaration used when trying to describe the flavor of a food a listener has never tasted. The expression has been used so often that it has become somewhat of a cliché...
...the head and feet are not eaten, but the tail is considered a great delicacy...the fat of the body is boiled down and the resulting oil is used as an embrocation and also as a cure for impotence.
The fat stored in the tail of the lizard is purported to have medicinal properties and for this reason, these lizards are often illegally collected and sold in various parts of India for folk medicine. It is kept in captivity by the cruel practice of dislocating the backbone.
Poaching
Uromastyx hardwickii is on the verge of extinction in western Rajasthan due to rampant poaching by nomads, who value this reptile both for its meat and as a medicine. During monsoon, these lizards leave their homes and come out to feed on tender shoots of grass when they fall prey to raptors.External links
Category:Uromastyx
Category:Reptiles of Asia
Category:Reptiles of Pakistan
fr:Uromastyx hardwickii
nl:Indische doornstaartagame
ja:インドトゲオアガマ