''Uromastyx geyri'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Agamidae Agamidae is a family (biology), family of over 300 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards. Overview phylogenetics, Phylogenetic ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

Common names

Common names for ''U. geyri'' include Geyr's dabb lizard, Geyr's spiny-tailed lizard,"''Uromastyx geyri'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Sahara mastigure, Saharan spiny-tailed lizard, Yellow Niger Uromastyx, and Saharan yellow uromastyx.

Habitat

''U. geyri'' is found in rocky,

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

Geographic range

''U. geyri'' is found in parts of

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

, and

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesgeneric Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name, ''Uromastyx'', is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

words ''ourá'' (οὐρά) meaning "tail" and ''mastiga'' (μαστίγα) meaning "whip" or "scourge", after the thick-spiked tail characteristic of all ''Uromastyx'' species. The specific name, ''geyri'', is in honor of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

Hans Geyr von Schweppenburg.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Uromastyx geyri'', p. 100).

Description

''U. geyri'' is a relatively small, slender species for the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, with an average total length (including tail) of around . This lizard is usually beige or orange with lighter spots. It is one of the brightest-colored species of the genus ''Uromastyx''. There are two phases of ''U. geyri'', the "red" geyri and "yellow" geyri, color being their only difference. The red phase is often nearly solid reddish to neon pumpkin orange, and the yellow phase is 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 medium-sized lizards, many averaging in total length, and weighing or more as adults.

Gallery

Saharan_Spiny-tailed_Lizard,_Uromastyx_geyri.jpg, Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Centre, UK Blumengärten Hirschstetten 2016-02-21 Dornschwanzagame (Uromastyx geyri) a.jpg, Blumengärten Hirschstetten, Vienna, Austria

References

External links

CITES report on ''Uromastyx geyri''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1938510 Uromastyx Reptiles of Africa Reptiles described in 1922 Taxa named by Lorenz Müller