Uromastyx acanthinura occupies desert habitats, but specifically occupies rocky areas that can support its burrows.
In the desert, its most common habitats are rocky or semi-rocky sandy areas and, rarely, open sandy desert.
The burrows that this species builds are often beneath bushes or in high rocky cliffs.
Physical Description
North African spiny-tailed lizards attain a maximum total body length of 40 to 43 cm and an adult mass of 450 g.
These lizards have a dorsally flattened body and the tail, as the name would suggest, is large and covered with ringed spines.
Individuals may exhibit wide variation in color as the scales of adults are at times either a mottled red, orange, green, or yellow, though the basic color is gray.
Conservation Status
The international trade of Uromastyx acanthinura is currently regulated by CITIES and is listed with all other Uromastyx species in Appendix II.
Successful trade regulation is difficult to enforce as many can be sold through underground markets.
This species is often misidentified, therefore making regulation increasingly difficult.
Additional threats to this species includes agricultural grazing on plants that U. acanthinura commonly eats which creates competition for resources.
More important factors that threaten its survival tend to come from humans through the pet trade and trapping for food and medicine.
Road mortality is of great concern as the heat-absorbing roads are an attractive basking spot for these lizards.
