Uromastyx yemenensis
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Classification
U. yemenensis is better known as Yemen Uromastyx or South Arabian Spiny-Tail Lizard.
Colouration and related species
U. yemenensis sp. nov. from south-western Arabia, comprise two geographic subspecies, U. y. yemenensis and U. y. shobraki ssp. nov., and is a member of the U. ocellata species group, closely related to U. benti. The new species is restricted to the extreme south-western tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The western populations of U. yemenensis differ genetically and are constantly distinct in respect to their colour pattern, and are therefore recognised as a subspecies.
Uromastyx yemenensis sp. nov. is a medium-sized member of the U. ocellata group, which is distinguished from the more primitive U. asmussi, U. loricata and U. hardwickii by the absence of intercalary scales between the whorls of the dorsal surface of its tail; from U. thomasi and U. princeps by the longer tail and from all other species of the genus (with the exception of U. ocellata, U. ornata, U. benti and U. macfadyeni) by the arrangement of the whorls of the tail. In U. yemenensis as well as in the four above-mentioned species the last 8–21 whorls each consists of a simple continuous series of large scales, while in all other uromastyx species only the last 2–5 whorls are like this. The new species differs from U. ocellata, U. ornata and U. macfadyeni in lacking femoral and preanal pores. U. yemenensis differs from its sister species U. benti in having smaller and more scales around midbody (192.53 +/-16.63 in U. yemenensis vs. 160.05 +/- 8.98 in U. benti) and smaller and more ventrals (87.61 +/-5.66 in U. yemenensis vs. 74 +/-4.02 in U. benti).
Geographical disperion
U. yemenensis come from southwestern Arabia, most notably Yemen.
