Uromastyx ornata
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Classification
U.ornata is better known as Ornate Uromastyx.
Description
Uromastyx Ornata attains a maximum length of 37 cm, which makes it an uromastyx of moderate size. The animal's head contains scales of equal size. The hindlegs also contain conical and thorny scales. The tail is a bit flat and contains 20-23 segments. The colours of U. ornata vary by individual.
Colouration
Males often have a green, blue or red-violet base colour on their back. The back also contains brown circles which can be filled with yellow. These circles can be woven together into yellow bandings. Females have and (dark) brown base colour and the yellow patterns on the back. Their bellies are lightly coloured, and both sexes have a pattern that looks like a net. With females this net pattern is brown/black, males have blue, green, brown and black. Generally, females are much duller coloured.
Temperament
Ornates are active lizards that like to climb.
Related species
Uromastyx ornatus are fairly closely related to the much smaller U. ocellata.
Geographical disperion
U. ornata feel most at home in the rougher and rocky parts of the deserts. They live on the Sinai Peninsula, parts of northwest Saudi Arabia and Israël (Eilat and Wadi Makfa). The area U. ornata lives in is described as desert/semi-desert with a big difference between day and night temperature. There are no severe winter coolings.
