Courtesy WikiCommons
While their name isn’t very flattering, the Spiny Tailed Lizard are pretty cool lizards that live through most of North America, Northeast Africa,the Middle East. Some species even live further east, establishing themselves in hilly, rocky areas. Officially called Uromastyx, there are a variety of species within this family of hardy lizards.
As you can tell from their name, they have spiny tails. These spiked tails are muscular and are used as defense against attackers. They also hiss and display their teeth to ward off danger. They sleep underground in burrows, which can also provide them protection from predators and the environment.
Spiny Tailed Lizards range greatly in size, from 10 inches all the way up to 36 inches long, depending upon species. Like most reptiles, they like to bask in the sun and get most of their water through the vegetation they eat. Some people keep these lizards as pets, with the Mali Uromastyx being considered the ideal pet species.
Interesting, the coloration of this lizard changes. In colder weather, when they cannot bask in the sun as much, they get darker. In the summer when they can bask often, they tend to be lighter in color. If you want to see a Spiny Tailed Lizards for yourself you can stop by our park.