Leptien’s spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia leptieni) is a remarkable desert specialist found in the arid woodlands and gravel plains of the Arabian Peninsula. These robust, herbivorous reptiles dig extensive burrow systems to escape the midday heat and emerge at dawn and dusk to feed on a diet of desert herbs, flowers, and seeds. Their distinctive, spiky tails serve both as a defensive weapon against predators and as a plug to seal their burrow entrances. Although locally common in protected reserves, spiny-tailed lizards face pressures from habitat disturbance and collection for the pet trade—making ongoing monitoring, habitat protection, and public awareness essential to ensure their survival in the wild.

The 2023 monitoring of the endangered Leptien’s spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia leptieni) in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, carried out from June to September, documented 598 burrows, including 424 new records (362 active, 125 inactive, 111 abandoned). The highest burrow densities were recorded in the Al Maha and Gravel Plain Research areas, and the discovery of colonies in previously unsurveyed gravel plains indicates ongoing population growth and range expansion. These results highlight the importance of updating existing habitat maps and extending surveys into unexplored reserve sections to better understand and support this vulnerable species’ dispersal strategies. ddcr.org