Hardwicke's Spiny-Tailed Lizard

Hardwicke's Spiny-Tailed Lizard

Indian spiny-tailed lizard , Indian spiny-tailed lizard

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Saara hardwickii
Length
34-49
13.4-19.3
cminch
cm inch 

Saara hardwickii, commonly known as Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard or the Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is found in patches across the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. It is mainly herbivorous and lives in numbers in some areas. Since it is found in loose clusters it often attracts predators such as raptors. It is also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.

Di

Diurnal

He

Herbivore

Te

Terrestrial

Bu

Burrowing

Bu

Burrowing

So

Solitary

No

Not a migrant

Hi

Hibernating

H

starts with

Appearance

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard is a herbivorous lizard that lives in South Asia. It is usually yellowish-brown, sandy, or olive in color. 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. Its tail has whorls of spiny scales with large spines on the side. The tail is bluish-grey to sand-colored.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Subcontinents
Countries

These lizards occur in patches across the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. They inhabit the dry desert tracts and range 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 these lizards and they are found extensively in the Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Barmer, and Churu districts in Rajasthan. They are also found in some parts of Madhya Pradesh (Rewa).

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizards are typically found in the firm ground rather than pure sand dunes and prefer elevated patches of land. They often live in colonies, sometimes on the outskirts of villages. Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizards excavate a sloping zig-zagging or spiraling tunnel of 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 in) diameter and over 2 m (6.6 ft) long for themselves. The tunnel has an entrance that is flush with the ground and ends in a small chamber. They live singly in the burrow, but hatchlings may stay with the mother initially. Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizards are diurnal and often bask close to the entrance of their burrow. They are very alert and smoothly slide into their burrow at the first hint of danger. Spiny-tailed lizards hibernate through the winter and emerge in spring. By the time they are ready for hibernation, these lizards put on long strips of fat on each side of the backbone which presumably enables them to survive the long winter months.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizards are largely herbivorous and their teeth are adapted for a plant diet including flowers, fruits, beans, and grass. In locust-breeding areas, spiny-tailed lizards have been known to feed on nymphs and adults of the locust. In summer they usually forage more in the mornings feeding to a greater extent on insects, and in the monsoons, they eat principally herbs and grasses.

Mating Habits

REPRODUCTION SEASON
spring
BABY NAME
hatchling
web.animal_clutch_size
10 eggs

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizards breed in spring after emerging from hibernation. Females lay 10 white, pigeon-sized eggs.

Population

Population threats

Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizards are 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. The fat stored in the tail of these lizards is purported to have medicinal properties and for this reason, they are often illegally collected and sold in various parts of India and Pakistan for folk medicine.

Population number

Presently, the Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard is not included in the IUCN Red List and its conservation status has not been evaluated.

References

1. Hardwicke's Spiny-Tailed Lizard on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saara_hardwickii

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