A small, sandy-colored reptile found only in a small corner of southern Israel. Named after the city of Be’er Sheva, this lizard is a true desert specialist, living exclusively on the dusty loess plains of the northern Negev. Though small and often overlooked, this lizard is one of the most fascinating examples of how life can adapt perfectly to a single, harsh environment.

The Be’er Sheva fringe-fingered lizard is a slender, ground-dwelling creature, usually tan or gray with faint striping that blends beautifully with its surroundings. Young lizards are especially striking, sporting a bright blue tail that fades as they grow older—a clever decoy to distract predators away from their bodies. The distinctive fringed toes give them incredible speed and stability on the fine, powdery soil of the loess plains. They are most active during the day, scurrying across open ground in search of insects, especially ants and termites, which make up most of their diet. When danger looms, they dash into burrows or quickly dig into soft soil to disappear.

Their entire world revolves around the open, treeless plains of the Negev. They depend on bare, sunlit soil for basking, hunting, and nesting. Females lay small clutches of eggs in shallow burrows, where the warm earth provides perfect incubation conditions. Unfortunately, this close connection to one habitat has made the species incredibly vulnerable. As agriculture, construction, and urban development have expanded around Be’er Sheva, much of the lizard’s natural range has been destroyed or fragmented. Ironically, even well-meaning attempts at “greening” the desert—like planting trees—can harm the species, since more trees attract predatory birds and change the open landscape the lizard needs to survive.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Israel

CR

2006