04 August 2016

Bosk's Fringe-toed Lizard near Maysaan - Taif

Whilst birding near Bani Saad I found a Bosk's Fringe-toed Lizard. Originally I thought it was the very similar Snake-tailed Fringe-toed Lizard but  luckily a local birdwatcher, Mansur Al Fahad, who is very knowledgeable on insects, lizards and other wildlife identified it from my photos as a Bosk's fringe-toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus. This is the most widespread species of its genus as well as the largest Acanthodactylus species throughout its range, measuring 16-23 centimeters in total length, which includes all of Saharan North Africa and the Middle East including Arabia, the Levant and Mesopotamia (including the Turkish border), as well as north- western Iran. It frequents a range of stony and sandy environments and is sometimes common in rocky areas with some shrubs.
Snake-tailed Fringe-toed Lizard

Snake-tailed Fringe-toed Lizard