Spiny-footed Lizard

About the Spiny-footed Lizard

Acanthodactylus erythrurus, commonly known as the spiny-footed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to northwestern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. It is considered to be the fastest member of the family Lacertidae. Its common name refers to the spines that are arranged like a comb on the toes of its hind legs.

The spiny-footed lizard is 20 cm long, so it can be categorized as a medium sized animal. It has a tail that is two thirds of the lizard's total size, and it has a very strong body. The snout is quite short and the supra occipital plates are defined enough to portray the illusion of the eyebrows being located on the lizard's head. The entire body is covered with thin, seed-like scales. The scales have a keeled structure and the midline protrudes outwards. The lizard has long nails on its strong hind legs and long white lines on a greyish-yellow skin tone. There are also irregular dark and yellow spots all over the legs. The anterior belly is a shade of white and the long tail is a brilliant red on the lateral portions. During the mating period, the males' yellow ocelli and the females' red tails become more intensely... Wikipedia →