Acanthodactylus
A. boskianus asper in Jordan
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Acanthodactylus Wiegmann, 1834[1]
Species
ca. 40. See text.

Acanthodactylus is a genus of lacertid lizards, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered lizards, fringe-toed lizards (though the latter common name is also used for the New World lizard genus Uma), and spiny-toed lizards.

Geographic range

The approximately 40 species in the genus Acanthodactylus are native to a wide area in North Africa, southern Europe and Western Asia; across the Sahara Desert, to the Iberian Peninsula, and east through the Arabian Peninsula, to Afghanistan and western India.^[2]

Habitat

Though lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus prefer dry and sparsely vegetated regions, they are not strictly tied to an arid terrain; so it is not uncommon to come across them in various environments.^{[citation needed]}

Description

Members of the genus Acanthodactylus possess the following combination of traits:^[2]

• Lacking occipital scales,
• Flat ventral scales,
• Fingers with three or four series of scales,
• Toes with comb-like projections,
• Femoral pores present,
• Parietal foramen present.

The coloration and pattern of spots of Acanthodactylus is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species.^{[citation needed]}

Behavior

Every saurian of the genus Acanthodactylus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species.^{[citation needed]} The males strenuously defend the borders of their territories.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction

Acanthodactylus are oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch ranges from 3 to 7. The total length of a sexually mature adult of the genus is, on average, 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in).^{[citation needed]}

Classification

Genus Acanthodactylus^[3]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Acanthodactylus.