Madhuri Ramesh

Status survey of the Spiny-tailed Lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in the arid regions of Rajasthan, north-western India.

Town/RegionCountryCategoriesDate
Jaisalmer, Thar DesertIndiaIndian Sub-continent, Reptiles15 Dec 2006

The Spiny–tailed lizard Uromastyx hardwickii is endemic to the arid region which lies between India and Pakistan. This burrow-dwelling, herbivorous lizard is patchily distributed in the north-western parts of India, mainly in and around the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. This species is very poorly understood, with the most detailed natural history note on U. hardwickii being nearly a century old. Moreover, it is known to be heavily exploited locally because the oil from the fat and its meat are believed to have medicinal properties. U. hardwickii is possibly the most threatened herpetofauna of the Great Indian Desert, and while it has been classified as ‘Vulnerable’ in India, it has not been included in the current IUCN Red List due to lack of information.

This project, which will be the first status survey on U. hardwickii, will document the distribution of sizeable populations as well as identify immediate threats to the survival of the species. The results will form the basis on which a long-term conservation programme can be developed and implemented with the involvement of the local communities, Rajasthan State Forest Department and other institutions that have ongoing research or conservation programmes in the area. In addition, this survey will also serve as a precursor to a long-term ecological study on the species.

The Great Indian Desert, which is one of the most densely populated deserts in the world, is in need of significant conservation action and U. hardwickii or ‘Sanda’, as it is locally known, can also be used as a flagship species to enlist local support for future conservation action in the region.

For more information contact madhurir@hotmail.com or go to http://www.gnape.org

Project Update June 2007

This project, the first systematic survey on the Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard Uromastyx hardwickii, commenced in March (2007). So far, over the last three months, two of the five arid districts have been surveyed completely (Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner) while two more districts (Jaisalmer, Barmer) have been surveyed partially.

A combination of vehicular transects and interviews with local people have been used to map the current distribution of the species, prioritise sites for conservation and identify the major threats. So far, this lizard has mainly been found to occur in the ‘thalar’ habitat of the desert region i.e. gravelly plains where grass is the dominant vegetation. So far, substantial numbers of the lizard have been found only in Jaisalmer district, with densities being as high as 200 burrows per ha. However, in Bikaner, the distribution of U. hardwickii is patchy, and the ‘thalars’ are smaller and surrounded by fields or sand dunes. In Sri Ganganagar, preliminary analysis suggests that it may be on the verge of local extinction, with most of the land area under intensive cultivation. Uromastyx were found in just two localities –with both supporting less than 20 burrows. The species seems to have disappeared from many parts of western Barmer too, but this seems to be due to the floods of last year; however there are a few animals in the northwestern region. Large-scale habitat destruction caused by climate change and agriculture appear to be a more serious threat to the species than hunting.

Final Report: April 2008

Read more about the activities undertaken and findings of this project in the final report below.

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Final Report.doc706 KB

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