Duméril's fringe-fingered lizard

Duméril's fringe-fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus dumerilii)[2] is a species of the genus fringe-fingered lizards[3][4] in the Acanthodactylus scutellatus species group.[5][6][7] It is found in the West and Central Sahara.[2]

Duméril’s fringe-fingered lizard
Left two Duméril’s fringe-fingered lizards, right two specimen of Acanthodactylus inornatus aureus

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Acanthodactylus
Species:
A. dumerilii
Binomial name
Acanthodactylus dumerilii

Description

Duméril's fringe-fingered lizard is overall yellowish brown, as many fringed fingered lizards. Its body is gracile and elongated. It has long fingers with fringe-like phasing out scales, which gave the genus its name. It can be distinguished from Acanthodactylus longipes by the presence of contrasting dark brown or black spots across the dorsal surface.[7]

Habitat and distribution

The typical habitat of Duméril's fringe-fingered lizard is mainly found in the deserts of Algeria,[2] Libya,[2] Morocco,[2][8] Mauretania,[2] Senegal,[2] Tunisia[2][9] and the Western Sahara.[2] In the areas of Erg Chebbi and M’hamid of Southern Morocco it is found together with Acanthodactylus longipes.[7] However, these closely related species prefer different habitats. Duméril's fringe-fingered lizard avoids deserts free of vegetation and is mainly found at the edges of dunes overgrown by some bushes and halfa grass (Stipa tenacissima), or lives in soil covered with sparse vegetation, where it constructs its burrows.[7]

Diet and ecology

Silver ants

Dumérils fringe-fingered lizard eats insects, mainly Saharan silver ants. These have large soldiers with saber-like mandibles for defending against the lizard.[10] If the lizard cannot dig up the underground colony, it places its burrow near the colony to exploit over a longer time.[11] The silver ants in turn have special scouts who watch the burrow of the fringed lizard and alert the workers as soon as the lizard enters the burrow to protect itself from the heat of the sun, upon which the ants swarm out to gather food.[12][13]

Locusts

Occasional locust swarms also supply Duméril's fringed lizard with food. However, some locust species such as the desert locust consume toxic plants like the Egyptian henbane, accumulating noxious substances. The locusts develop a warning coloration at higher population density, which is noticeably intensified to indicate their potential toxicity. Duméril's fringe-fingered lizards avoid desert locusts with such coloration.[14]

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References
  1. Wilms, T., Wagner, P., Niagate, B., Slimani, T., Mateo, J.A., El Mouden, E.H. & Geniez, P. 2018. Acanthodactylus dumerilii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T197433A2482977. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T197433A2482977.en. Downloaded on 16 April 2019.
  2. www.lacerta.de: Acanthodactylus dumerili (MILNE-EDWARDS, 1829), accessed 2015-08-15.
  3. Acanthodactylus dumerili at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  4. A. Salvador: A revision of the lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus (Sauria: Lacertidae).
  5. P.-A. Crochet, P. Geniez, I. Ineich: A multivariate analysis of the fringe-toed lizards of the Acanthodactylus scutellatus group (Squamata: Lacertidae): systematic and biogeographical implications.
  6. U. Schlüter: Fransenfingereidechsen (Acanthodactylus) in der Natur und im Terrarium.
  7. Morocco herps.com: Lagartija de Merzouga, accessed 2015-08-15.
  8. D. J. Harris, M. A. Carretero, J. C. Brito, A. Kaliotzopoulou, C. Pinho, A. Perera, R. Vasconcelos, M. Barata, D. Barbosa, S. Carvalho, M. M. Fonseca, G. Perez-Lanuza, C. Rato: Data on the distribution of the terrestrial herpetofauna of Morocco: records from 2001-2006.
  9. S. Nouira, C. P. Blanc: Distribution spatiale des Lacertides (Sauria, Reptilia) en Tunisie; caractéristiques des biotopes et rôle des facteurs écologiques - Geographic distribution of Lacertids (Sauria, Reptilia) in Tunisia; Biotope characteristics and influence of ecological factors.
  10. Mathieu Molet, Vincent Maicher, Christian Peeters: Bigger helpers in the ant Cataglyphis bombycina: increased worker polymorphism or novel soldier caste?
  11. A. C. Marsh, R. Wehner, S. Wehner: Desert ants on a thermal tight rope.
  12. P. Gullen: The Insects: An Outline of Entomology.
  13. Nigel R. Andrew, John S. Terblanche: The response of insects to climate change.
  14. Sword, George A.; Simpson, Stephen J.; El Hadi, Ould Taleb M.; Wilps, Hans (7 January 2000). "Density-dependent aposematism in the desert locust". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 267 (1438): 63–68. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.0967. PMC 1690497.
  • U. Schlüter: Fransenfingereidechsen (Acanthodactylus) in der Natur und im Terrarium. Teil 5b: Die Acanthodactylus-scutellatus-Gruppe. In: Reptilia, 15, Nr. 4, 2010, S. 62–66.
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