The Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) is a type of iguanian lizard found in northeastern Africa and parts of the Middle East. These lizards live in very dry areas and during the breeding season, males are known to become a striking blue color to attract females.
The Sinai agama is a small lizard with long legs, giving it an upright stance. It has a long, slender tail, one and a half times as long as the body. The legs are long and slender and the tail is often held off the ground. This lizard is generally a dull brown color, but during the breeding season, the male turns bright blue, or sometimes just the head and throat turn blue with the other parts remaining brown. Females and juveniles are greyish-brown all year round, but females often have a crescent-shaped red patch on each side just behind the forelimbs.
These lizards occur in Libya, Egypt, South West Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Syria. They live in arid areas including desert, shrubland, and dry grasslands. They can also be found in mountainous and hilly, areas.
Sinai agamas lead a solitary lifestyle. In the daytime, they may be seen basking in the sun on boulders, cliffs, or piles of stone. If something bothers them or they sense any attempt at predation they typically dash off at great speed. However, when the external temperature is lower, their body metabolism is lowered and they are incapable of sudden bursts of speed. In this case, they will stand their ground and attack their aggressors.
Sinai agamas are carnivores (insectivores). Their diet includes a wide variety of insects but especially they favor feeding on ants. They may also eat some plants.
Sinai agamas breed in spring and early summer. During this time both the male and female become territorial. To maintain their territory, they adopt a threatening pose by raising their heads and gaping. The male finds a prominent spot where he can display to attract a female; he will do this by bobbing his head, using eye movements, and doing push-ups with his front limbs. After mating has taken place, the female lays a clutch of 5 to 9 eggs about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) long. Baby agamas hatch well-developed and can take care of themselves without parental help.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Sinai agama total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are stable.
