Spiny-footed lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spiny-footed lizard |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acanthodactylus
|
| Species: |
erythrurus
|
 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The Acanthodactylus erythrurus, also known as the spiny-footed lizard, is a type of lizard from the Lacertidae family. It gets its name from the comb-like spines on its back toes. This lizard is special because it is one of the fastest lizards in its family! You can find it only in northwestern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
This medium-sized lizard can grow up to 20 cm (about 8 inches) long, with its tail making up two-thirds of its total length. It has a strong body and a short snout. Its body is covered in small, seed-like scales. The spiny-footed lizard has long claws on its strong back legs and a grayish-yellow skin with long white lines and dark spots. Its belly is white, and its long tail is a bright red on the sides. When it's time to mate, the males' yellow spots and the females' red tails become even brighter!
Contents
- Where Spiny-Footed Lizards Live
- What Spiny-Footed Lizards Eat
- Spiny-Footed Lizard Life Cycle
- Types of Spiny-Footed Lizards
- Where Spiny-Footed Lizards Are Found
- Spiny-Footed Lizard Habitat
- How Spiny-Footed Lizards Look
- Spiny-Footed Lizard Behavior
- Spiny-Footed Lizard Reproduction
- Protecting Spiny-Footed Lizards
- Images for kids
Where Spiny-Footed Lizards Live
Spiny-footed lizards like to live in specific places. They prefer loose, clear soil near coasts and areas with low bushes. You'll often find them in mountains at higher elevations, but they usually stay away from farms. These lizards are most active during the warmer months and wake up during the daytime. However, if they live near the coast, they can be active all year round.
During the coldest days, the lizard becomes inactive. In areas away from the coast, they will hibernate (sleep through winter) during autumn and winter. They dig shallow tunnels that face south to stay warm. These tunnels also help them control their body temperature.
What Spiny-Footed Lizards Eat
The spiny-footed lizard enjoys a varied diet! It eats many kinds of insects, such as ants, bugs, and beetles. It also likes snails and even some plant parts like flower petals and stems.
Spiny-Footed Lizard Life Cycle
Spiny-footed lizards usually mate in the spring, between May and June. After mating, the female lizard lays about 2 to 5 eggs sometime between June and August. These eggs will then hatch 2 to 5 months later.
Types of Spiny-Footed Lizards
Scientists have studied spiny-footed lizards to understand the different types. In Morocco, for example, there were thought to be two main kinds: Acanthodactylus lineomaculatus and Acanthodactylus erythrurus. Over time, scientists found that some differences in these lizards were just ways they adapted to different homes.
Today, scientists believe that A. erythrurus, A. lineomaculatus, and another type called A. blanci are all part of one large species.
Spiny-Footed Lizard Subspecies
There are four recognized types, or subspecies, of the spiny-footed lizard:
- Acanthodactylus erythrurus atlanticus Boulenger, 1918 – Found in Morocco
- Acanthodactylus erythrurus belli Gray, 1845 – Found in Algeria and Morocco
- Acanthodactylus erythrurus erythrurus (Schinz, 1833) – Found in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal)
- Acanthodactylus erythrurus lineomaculatus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839 – Found in Morocco
Where Spiny-Footed Lizards Are Found
You can find A. erythrurus in parts of Europe, including Gibraltar, Portugal, and Spain. In Africa, it lives in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. It's quite common in Morocco, but less so in very dry areas like the Sahara desert.
Spiny-Footed Lizard Habitat
Even though spiny-footed lizards prefer dry places with not many plants, they can live in other environments too. They are ground-dwelling lizards that find shelter under cork oak tree bark, stones, and flat surfaces. They move through thick bushes and dig burrows in sandy areas or near plant roots. You might find them in plains with scattered bushes, coastal sand dunes, rocky hillsides, or even cork oak forests.
How Spiny-Footed Lizards Look
The colors and patterns on spiny-footed lizards can vary a lot! Because of these differences, scientists sometimes thought they were different species. This lizard is medium-sized, growing up to 22.7 cm (about 9 inches). It has a large head and a rounded or pointed snout. Its body is strong, but some lizards living on the Atlantic coast are a bit slimmer.
The spiny-footed lizard's body is usually gray with shades of brown. It has clear white lines running along its body, with black and white spots in between. Some lizards from the Atlantic coast have green and blue spots. Young lizards often have bright red tails, and female lizards keep this red color as they get older.
Spiny-Footed Lizard Behavior
Like other lizards in its group, the spiny-footed lizard can be aggressive if it feels threatened and will bite hard if you try to catch it. These lizards often have small fights with each other, and males strongly defend their home areas. As mentioned, they are very fast and move low to the ground, which helps them be quick and agile. If a predator is chasing them, they can even drop their tail to escape, and it will grow back later!
These lizards are active for most of the year. However, in places with colder winters, they become inactive and go into a winter sleep from November to February. If there are warmer days during these months, they might come out. To avoid the cold, they build shallow tunnels that face south to catch the sun's heat. Sometimes, small insects and plants fall into their tunnels, giving them food during the cold months.
Why Red Coloration Matters
Scientists have studied why young spiny-footed lizards have red tails. One idea is that this red color helps them avoid fights with older lizards. In a study, young lizards that were painted red were bitten less by adult lizards than those painted white. This suggests that the bright red color in young lizards might signal to adults that they are juveniles, reducing aggression towards them.
Spiny-Footed Lizard Reproduction
Spiny-footed lizards lay eggs, which means they are oviparous. A female can lay between three and seven eggs at a time. Adult lizards are typically 18 to 20 cm (7 to 8 inches) long, including their tail, when they are ready to mate. They usually mate from May to June. If a female lizard is larger, she might lay eggs again in July. The eggs hatch between July and August.
Adult female lizards often have bright red hind legs and tails. This red color is very important! Studies show that the red color in females might be linked to mating. Right after they reproduce, their red color can become brighter, but it might fade to white during the breeding season. This suggests that the red color could be a sign of being ready to mate, while a white color might mean they are pregnant.
The red color can also help males choose a mate. Even though both males and females have red tails when they are young, the red color fades in males as they grow up. Since the red color in females often fades after they lay eggs, it's a clear sign that it's related to mating. Males seem to prefer females with red tails, which might mean these females are ready to reproduce or are of higher quality.
Protecting Spiny-Footed Lizards
The spiny-footed lizard needs special protection, especially those living near the coast. Their homes are being affected by new buildings and boardwalks along the coast. Climate change and global warming also threaten their habitat. These threats are very concerning because the spiny-footed lizard relies heavily on its environment to survive and thrive.
Images for kids
-
A spiny-footed lizard on a rock.
-
Map showing where the spiny-footed lizard lives.
