As with most diurnal desert lacertids this species has a bimodal activity pattern in the hottest months of the year, reverting to a unimodal pattern in autumn and spring. Activity is minimal in winter.
Vulnerable
A medium-sized fringed-toed lizard. Adults up to 60 mm SVL. Second and third supraoculars entire, the first broken into 2-3 parts and the fourth fragmented. Dorsals small and smooth, 61 in longest transverse row. 14 transverse rows of ventrals. Dorsum with sandy background lined with 8 rows of interspersed black and light blotches. Pattern becomes duller in older animals. Adult males with bright yellow infusion on flanks and on throat, at least during the breeding season. Juveniles have more contrasting colors and pattern, with a dorsal pattern consisting of dark and light stripes, and blue tails.
The status of Acanthodactylus pardalis and delineation of its range in Egypt has been subject of many inaccuracies, primarily because of misidentification and confusion with other congeners. The species has been confused with A. scutellatus, A. longipes, and A. boskianus in Egypt.
Anderson (1896 and 1898) and Boulenger (1920) reported on specimens from Maryut near Alexandria and from Alexandria only. Flower (1933) stated that the species is known only from the neighborhood of Alexandria and Maryut extending as far west as Daba. Marx (1968) and Salvador (1982) listed specimens mostly from the Mediterranean coastal desert between Salum and Alexandria and from the general vicinity of Wadi El Natrun, Giza, and Fayoum, as well as from localities in South Sinai and from the hinterland of the Western Desert. The re-examination of much of the material referred to A. pardalis from Egypt indicates that the species has a fairly restricted range along the Mediterranean coast from the Libyan borders to Alexandria, extending south along the western edge of the Nile Delta and Valley to the Fayoum Depression. Almost all reports of the species outside this range in Egypt are erroneous.
Marx (1968) mistakenly reports the species from El Gamil Beach, Port Said, Abu Rawash, and reports a single specimen from St. Katherine, which was referred to A. boskianus by Werner (1982). Salvador (1982) also erroneously reported the species for Egypt from Wadi Prince, Gebel Uweinat (locality actually in Libya), Bahariya Oasis, and Wadi Nasim, Qena. Saleh (1997) reiterated many of the erroneous records of Marx (1968) and Salvador (1982) on his distribution map for the species.
There is only one known specimen of A. pardalis from east of the Nile, collected 1.6 km south of Helwan in 1952 by H. Hoogstraal. The specimen is rather peculiar in having only 3 supralabi-als anterior to the eye, two chin shields in contact and fused loreals. The possibility of locality error should not be excluded since the region where the animal originated has no suitable habitat for A. pardalis, and has been fairly intensively covered by many workers, who found no evidence of the species.
Restricted to northwest Egypt and northern Cyrenaica, Libya. In Libya A. pardalis is found in a narrow band across northern Cyrenaica from the Egyptian borders, as far west as Agdabia (Scortecci 1934, Salvador 1982, Arnold 1983). The species has not been recorded from Gebel Akhdar (Resetar 1983, Schleich 1987) and appears to be absent from that part of Cyrenaica.
The least common Acanthodactylus species known from Egypt. Found in flat open semi-deserts under Mediterranean influence, receiving 50-150 mm of rain annually, preferring areas of hard clay substrates with scattered stones and moderate vegetation cover, most prominently Thymelaea hirsuta.
One of Egypt's most threatened reptiles. Recent extensive field observations in Egypt by the author indicated that the species has disappeared from much of its previous range, largely due to habitat degradation and loss, in addition to intensive collection pressure. Only between Marsa Matruh and Salum are there reasonably healthy populations. Coastal tourist development, over-grazing, and large-scale plowing for the growing of winter cereals has all but completely destroyed the species' habitats between Alexandria and Marsa Matruh, and is rapidly devouring valuable habitats west of Marsa Matruh. In Egypt it is Endangered.
The leopard fringe-fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus pardalis), also known commonly as the Egyptian fringe-fingered lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to North Africa.[1]
A. pardalis is found in Egypt[3] and Libya.
The natural habitats of the leopard fringe-fingered lizard are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and intertidal flats.[1]
A. pardalis is threatened by habitat loss.[1]
The leopard fringe-fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus pardalis), also known commonly as the Egyptian fringe-fingered lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to North Africa.
