A diurnal desert species. It feeds on a large variety of insects and other invertebrate.
Least Concern
Medium-sized lizard, adults up to 79 mm SVL. Snout moderate; 4 supralabials anterior to the eye, subocular isolated from lip. Dorsal scales fairly small, imbricate, strongly keeled; size of dorsals and their degree of keeling increases posteriorly. Average number of dorsals and ventrals at mid-body is 45 (range 39-55) and 12, respectively; average number of femoral pores 24 (21-31) (based on a sample of 23 Egyptian specimens). Dorsal side of tibia covered with uniform keeled scales. Digits with 3 rows of scales. All digits are strongly fringed, subdigital scales with multiple keels. Dorsal surfaces olive gray, with 5 longitudinal blackish stripes, the median stripe forking on the neck. Venter is white. Males larger than females and usually lose the contrasting dorsal pattern when fully adult. Ventral side of the tail in females turns red during the breeding season. Tail blue in juveniles. Hemipenis with two subequal lobes; clavula complexly folded in cross-section.
Nile Delta, lower Nile Valley, and coastal North Sinai, east to Zaranik.
Lower Egypt.
Found in sandy areas in coastal regions and among cultivations. Inhabits more mesic habitats than any other Acanthodactylus found in Egypt. Often associated with salt-marsh vegetation.
Locally common. Much of this subspecies' habitats in the Nile Delta and Valley are under intense development pressure, and much of the available habitat has been reduced to very small isolated patches.
