European fringed finger
| European fringed finger | ||||||||||||
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European fringed finger ( Acanthodactylus erythrurus ) |
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| Acanthodactylus erythrurus | ||||||||||||
| Schinz , 1833 |
The European fringed finger ( Acanthodactylus erythrurus ) is a species of the real lizards (Lacertidae) in the genus of the fringed lizards ( Acanthodactylus ). It reaches a body length of about 20 to 23 centimeters and lives in parts of Spain and Portugal as well as in North Africa .
features
The adult European fringed finger has a total length of 20 to 23 centimeters and is relatively strong. The head is short and has a pointed muzzle. The tail is about 7.5 centimeters long as the trunk and is set off from the body by a thickening that is particularly noticeable in the male. The sexes do not differ in color. On the upper side, the animals have a brown, gray-brown or ocher-colored basic color, on which eight to ten longitudinal stripes are formed by light spots. There are dark brown and light spots between the longitudinal stripes. Few of the animals are monochrome gray-brown. These occur mainly in populations living to the south . Young animals have black and white longitudinal stripes, reddish-brown colored hind legs and a reddish-brown tail. The underside of all animals is solid gray without a pattern.
The name of the entire genus is derived from scales on the fingers that have fringed runners ("fringed scales"). In the case of the European fringed finger, however, these are only weakly pronounced and are particularly prominent on the 4th toe. On the back there are also enlarged dorsal scales in the rear area, which have a distinct keel.
distribution and habitat
The European fringed finger is a heat-loving species that can be found in the south of the Iberian Peninsula , i.e. in Spain and Portugal , as well as in northwest Africa. It has its maximum altitude distribution on the Sierra Nevada at around 1800 meters.
The species is particularly common on sandy dunes on the seashore. In addition, they are often found on scree with poor vegetation and rocky soils.
Way of life
The European fringed finger is diurnal and does not hide much. Its locomotion is very rapid, lifting its tail slightly. The fringed scales on his toes are particularly useful on sandy surfaces, as they widen the tread and enable a safe step in the sand. The animals sunbathe in peace with their upper bodies slightly raised, with the young animals in particular tapping their tails slightly.
The lizard feeds mainly on insects and spiders . Twice a year, the females create a ground nest in which they lay four to six eggs. Adult animals hibernate . This usually does not occur in young animals.
literature
- Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 .
- Rudolf Malkmus: The amphibians and reptiles of Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. Distribution, ecology, protection (= Neue Brehm-Bücherei. Vol. 621). Westarp-Wissenschaften et al., Magdeburg et al. 1995, ISBN 3-89432-440-6 .
Web links
- Profile with photo gallery
- Photos of the European fringed finger on www.herp.it
- Portrait with good drawing (Italian)
- Portrait (spanish)
- Acanthodactylus erythrurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Slimani et al , 2005. Retrieved on 9 May, 2006.
- Acanthodactylus erythrurus in The Reptile Database