Acanthodactylus

The approximately 40 species in the genus Acanthodactylus are native to a wide area in North Africa, southern Europe and Western Asia; across the Sahara Desert, to the Iberian Peninsula, and east through the Arabian Peninsula, to Afghanistan and western India.^[2]

Though lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus prefer dry and sparsely vegetated regions, they are not strictly tied to an arid terrain; so it is not uncommon to come across them in various environments. ^{[citation needed]}

Members of the genus Acanthodactylus possess the following combination of traits: ^[2]

• Lacking occipital scales,
• Flat ventral scales,
• Fingers with three or four series of scales,
• Toes with comb-like projections,
• Femoral pores present,
• Parietal foramen present.

The coloration and pattern of spots of Acanthodactylus is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species.^{[citation needed]}

Every saurian of the genus Acanthodactylus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species.^{[citation needed]} The males strenuously defend the borders of their territories.^{[citation needed]}

Acanthodactylus are oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch ranges from 3 to 7. The total length of a sexually mature adult of the genus is, on average, 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in).^{[citation needed]}

Genus Acanthodactylus^[3]

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Acanthodactylus.