Saara (genus)

Iranian Dornschwanzagame ( Saara asmussi )

Saara is a lizard genus of the subfamily of the spiny-tailed lizards ( Uromasticinae ). The three species of the genus occur up to north-western India from eastern Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The genus was described in 1845 by the British zoologist John Edward Gray, but later synonymized with Uromastyx. 2007 the genus by the German zoologist and curator at Zoo Frankfurt Thomas Wilms and colleagues was revalidated.

Features

Gray gave in his original description as generic features the short, wide and high domed head, the flattened body with a fold on each side of the body and the small, equal-sized scales on, further the clearly visible Femoralporen and short, broad and flattened tail. On the tail upper side horizontal stripes will find narrow conical scales, which are separated by strips of square scales with grain and smooth surface. Belly and underside of tail are covered with smooth, like roof tiles overlapping scales.

Wilms and colleagues mention in addition the acrodonte dentition (teeth sit on the top of the jaw), the sharp incisors replaced Zwischenkieferbein ( premaxilla ) of the adults as well as the arrangement of the scales on the tail top in whorls, each from one to six scale rows from each other are separated.

Saara types depending on the type maximum of 43.8 to 53 cm long with a maximum snout-vent length from 23.3 to 29 cm. The animals are mostly brownish, olivaceous, yellow brown or yellow in color gray.

Species

• Iranian Dornschwanzagame, Saara asmussi ( Bush, 1863)
• Indian Dornschwanzagame, Saara hardwickii (Gray, 1827)
• Iraqi Dornschwanzagame, Saara loricata ( Blanford, 1874)