The ecology of Agama yemenesis Klausewitz(Lacertilia: Agamidae) in south-western Arabia

A field study of the ecology of Agama yemenensis was carried out in DalaghanNational Park near Abha, Saudi Arabia. This lizard occurs in rocky areas of the highland in the south-west of Arabia. Emergence time, basking, thermoregulation and activity period have been determined. The body temperature of active lizards in the field is 29°C, while the selected temperatures in a thermal gradient during the day and night were 32•2°C and 26•5°C, respectively. Lizards depend on a sit-and-wait strategy, and spend little time feeding on the ground. They feed mainly on ants which are very abundant in their habitat. Seeds, leaflets, twigs and other plant materials are also an important part of their diet.