Saara (lizard)

Saara
Saara hardwickii
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Agamidae
Subfamily:	Uromasticinae
Genus:	Saara Gray, 1845
Type species
Uromastix hardwickii
Species
Three, see text

Saara is a genus of lizards in the subfamily Uromasticinae of the family Agamidae. The genus is endemic to Asia.

Taxonomy

Until 2009, the member species of the genus Saara were generally included in the genus Uromastyx.^[1]

Geographic range and habitat

Saara species are native to dry habitats in southwestern Asia, ranging from Iran to northwestern India.^[1]

Species

Image	Scientific Name	Common Name	Distribution
	Saara asmussi (Strauch, 1863)	Iranian mastigure, Persian spiny-tailed lizard	Afghanistan, southern Iran, and Pakistan.
	Saara hardwickii (Gray, 1827)	Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard, Indian spiny-tailed lizard	India and Pakistan.
	Saara loricata (Blanford, 1874)	Iraqi mastigure, Iraqi spiny-tailed lizard	Iraq and Iran

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

References

1. Wilms TM, Böhme W, Wagner P, Lutzmann N, Schmitz A (2009). "On the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Uromastyx Merrem, 1820 (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae: Uromastycinae) - resurrection of the genus Saara Gray, 1845". Bonner zoologische Beiträge 56 (1/2): 55–99. PDF Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

• Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Saara, new genus, p. 262).