Nidua Fringe-fingered Lizard

Open encyclopedia reference

Acanthodactylus scutellatus, also known commonly as the Nidua fringe-fingered lizard or the Nidua fringe-toed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to northern Africa and the Middle East. It is small in size, reaching up to 21 cm in total length, with the tail accounting for less than two-thirds of this length. Its weight usually does not exceed 10 g, and its head is pointed at the snout. The Nidua fringe-fingered lizard (Acanthodactylus scutellatus) possesses a distinctive feature that sets it apart from other members of its genus: its ventral scales (ventrals) are arranged in diagonal rows originating from the center of the belly and extending backward and outward. In contrast, other species within the genus feature ventral scales arranged in straight, longitudinal and transverse rows (a grid pattern). The Nidua fringe-fingered lizard is diurnal and highly adept at burrowing into loose sand. Its burrows are shallow, serving as shelters during the night and throughout the hottest hours of summer days.

Wikipedia contributors, Acanthodactylus scutellatus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:05:09.659031+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Acanthodactylus scutellatus (Audouin, 1827)

Name authority

(Audouin, 1827)

Common name

Nidua Fringe-fingered Lizard

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Lacertidae

Genus

Acanthodactylus

Extinction status

Not supplied by this source

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
9. orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
10. suborderAutarchoglossa
11. familyLacertidae
12. genusAcanthodactylus
13. speciesAcanthodactylus scutellatus (Audouin, 1827)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Acanthodactylus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 292 records assigned to Lacertidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Acanthodactylus&species=scutellatus Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:8VTD. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.