Meroles is a genus of lizards, commonly known as desert lizards, in the family Lacertidae. The genus contains eight species, inhabiting southwestern Africa, especially the Namib Desert.

Meroles
Meroles knoxii in South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Subfamily: Lacertinae
Genus: Meroles
Gray, 1838
Species

Eight species, see text.

Description

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Desert lizards have fine, granular dorsal scales. The hind toes are elongated and possess fringes of scales.[1]

Species

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The following eight species are recognized as being valid.[2]

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

References

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  1. ^ Branch, Bill (1998). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa (3rd ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 164–167. ISBN 1868720403.
  2. ^ Genus Meroles at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading

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  • Gray JE (1838). "Catalogue of the Slender-tongued Saurians, with Descriptions of many new Genera and Species". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, [First Series] 1: 274–283, 388–394. (Meroles, new genus, p. 282).