Egypt, a land of ancient wonders and vast deserts, is also home to a diverse array of reptile species. From the Sinai Peninsula to the Nile Delta, these creatures have adapted to a variety of habitats, each with its own unique characteristics and behaviors. This article delves into some of the most fascinating reptiles found in Egypt, highlighting their physical attributes, habitats, and ecological roles.
Sinai Agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus)
A common critter to come across in the wadis, the Sinai Agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus) is known in Arabic as qadi sina’, or the “judge of Sinai”, due to a stance they take - raising themselves high up on their limbs and tilting their head. Males take this stance when they sit in prominent look-out locations, defending their territory.
Sinai Agamas also raise themselves up to avoid the extreme heat of the rocks. Notice that the toes are also not in full contact with the hot ground. Sinai Agamas have triangular-shaped heads with large ear openings in line with the mouth. They are slender lizards, their body up to 10 cm in length, with long, thin limbs. Characteristic of this species, their third hind toe is longer than the fourth.
Their color varies greatly between the sexes and depending on the breeding season, during which time the head, throat, and neck of the males become a bright blue and females display several red-brick bands on their backs. Sinai Agamas live in dry, rocky mountainous and hilly areas. They are ectothermic, or cold-blooded, and active in the hottest part of the day. You can often find them basking in the sun atop boulders, cliffs, and piles of stones.
Typically, apparently, when alarmed, the Sinai Agama will quickly run off. Unless the outside temperature is lower and they are incapable of sudden bursts of speed. Then their instinct it to stand their ground and attack their aggressors.
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Sinai Agamas feed on insects, mainly ants, and other arthropods, as well as plants. They are “sit-and-wait foragers” and agile climbers, darting off quickly to chase after insects when they spot them nearby. Sinai Agamas are one of my favorite critters to encounter while wandering through wadis!
Sinai agama facts 🦎 found in Libya, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, 🇸🇾 🇸🇦 🇦🇪 🇴🇲 🇸🇩 🇪🇹 🇪🇷 🇩🇯
Burton’s Carpet Viper (Echis coloratus)
Although I’m super excited to share this venomous viper with you today, I’m also super thankful that I don’t come across them more often on my wanderings. Why? This Burton’s Carpet Viper (Echis coloratus) was spotted in a wadi in Dahab, moving away from us - or we wouldn’t have been so excited to come across it!
These vipers have short, stocky bodies and wide heads and can grow to lengths of 75 cm. Their backs are covered with a pattern of pinkish-grayish blotches that have a darker outline. They also have dark gray bands that stretch from the eyes to the corners of their mouths.
Called hayiah or um jenah by the Jebaliya Bedouin, these vipers are fairly common in South Sinai and can be found at elevations up to 2,000 m. They typically live in rocky mountainous regions, on steep slopes, ledges, cliffs, and in rocky wadis. They are nocturnal and crepuscular, active during twilight.
Another name for these vipers is the Palestine Saw-Scaled Viper. This name comes from their defensive strategy of rubbing their coils together to produce a strong hissing or sawing sound when approached, especially to deter humans as they don’t want to waste their precious venom on us.
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Burton’s Carpet Vipers are unusual among vipers as they lay eggs, whereas their relatives give birth to live young. The vipers feed on small mammals, birds, lizards, and large invertebrates.
Fan-footed Gecko (Ptyodactylus hasselquistii)
Also known as the Common Fan-footed Gecko, Ptyodactylus hasselquistii is reported to be “the most abundant of all lizards inhabiting the lowland wadis of South Sinai.” You’ve probably seen them around. Fan-toed Geckos are excellent climbers and can run easily across boulders, vertical rock walls, and cave roofs, as well as under ledges and overhangs.
Called burs abu kaf in Arabic, these medium-sized geckos have flat, narrow heads, short and slender limbs, and long tails. Their color varies greatly depending on their surroundings, but they typically have dark bands across their back and tails.
Most lizards are usually mute, but not these geckos! They will make a chirping or clicking sound - tek, tek, tek - to communicate with other geckos. Another fun fact: Geckos do not have eyelids.
Bosc’s Fringe-toed Lizard (Acanthodactylus boskianus)
Fringe-toed Lizards are Egypt’s most prominent reptiles and this species, the Bosc’s Fringe-toed Lizard (Acanthodactylus boskianus), is the most common diurnal reptile in Sinai. There is a lot of variation when it comes to the number of scales, size, shape of head, pattern, and color of Bosc’s Fringe-toed Lizards.
Read also: Learn Arabic in Egypt: Guide
They can range in color from dark or olive grey to reddish brown and their scales are keeled, or ridged. There are five dark-colored stripes on their backs, but these fade with age. Males are generally larger than females and juveniles often have blue tails. These fringe-toed lizards inhabit deserts and semi-deserts.
The lateral fringes on their toes are a special adaptation to help them move across loose sand. When wandering through wadis, you will often see these lizards scuttle ahead of you when they hear you coming, often darting beneath the nearest plant.
According to ARKive, “During courtship the male approaches the female with a bent neck, and then runs in semi-circles, whilst probing the female’s body with its tongue.”
Schokari Sand Racer (Psammophis schokari)
These snakes are long and slender; they can grow to a length of about 1.5 meters. Schokari Sand Racers live in sandy and rocky deserts, prefer places with good vegetation, and are most common in coastal areas, whereas Saharan Sand Snakes are found in places with little or no vegetation. During times of bird migration, these snakes might be found on nearby trees and bushes.
Schokari Sand Racers are found throughout the Sinai peninsula and are actually one of the most common snakes in Egypt. And there’s a reason they’re called Sand Racers - they can reach speeds up to 16 kph when chasing prey!
The snakes typically eat lizards, small birds, rodents, and other snakes. After grabbing their prey, they release a venom that immobilizes the animal before swallowing them head first. Despite being venomous, Schokari Sand Racers are generally not a threat to humans as their main defense is their speed.
Ornate Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastyx ornata)
Ornate Spiny-tailed Lizards (Uromastyx ornata), also called Dhabb Lizards, are one of the larger animals you’ll come across in the wadis of South Sinai, their bodies growing up to 20 cm in length. Dhabb lizards like to bask in the hot desert sun. Males choose a highly visible position to declare their territory to other Dhabbs and to be on the lookout for intruders.
Male Dhabbs have blue heads and greenish blue backs with bands of black-edged yellow spots. The female and juvenile lizards sport a similar pattern but in reds, browns, and greys. Ornate Dhabb lizards are active during the day and they are most active at midday during the hottest months of the year.
They are herbivorous, munching mainly on the leaves, seeds, and flowers of desert plants. Dhabbs are strongly associated with acacias.
Ornate Spiny-tailed Lizards are listed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, the Red List justifies this classification, recognizing that the lizard has gone locally extinct in parts of Egypt and Israel but continues to thrive as a species in Saudi Arabia. The lizards are heavily collected by animal traders despite the fact that exporting this species is illegal in Egypt.
Other Notable Reptiles
Besides the species highlighted above, Egypt is home to several other notable reptiles, each playing a vital role in their respective ecosystems. These include:
- African Chameleon (Chamaeleo africanus)
- Egyptian Fan-toed Gecko (Ptyodactylus guttatus)
- Desert Horned Viper (Cerastes cerastes)
- Saharan Sand Viper (Cerastes vipera)
- Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje)
- Egyptian Sand Snake (Psammophis sibilans)
- Ocellated Dabb Lizard (Uromastyx ocellata)
- Spiny Agama (Agama spinosa)
Reptile Species of Egypt: Habitat and Diet
The following table summarizes the habitat and diet of some of the reptiles discussed in this article:
| Species | Habitat | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| Sinai Agama | Dry, rocky mountainous and hilly areas | Insects, arthropods, plants |
| Burton's Carpet Viper | Rocky mountainous regions, steep slopes, rocky wadis | Small mammals, birds, lizards, large invertebrates |
| Fan-footed Gecko | Lowland wadis, boulders, rock walls, cave roofs | Insects |
| Bosc's Fringe-toed Lizard | Deserts and semi-deserts | Insects, small invertebrates |
| Schokari Sand Racer | Sandy and rocky deserts, coastal areas | Lizards, small birds, rodents, other snakes |
| Ornate Spiny-tailed Lizard | Wadis, desert areas with acacia trees | Leaves, seeds, flowers of desert plants |
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