About

• The Indian spiny-tailed lizard, scientifically known as Saara hardwickii, is a reptile native to the arid regions of India and Pakistan, particularly the Thar Desert and surrounding areas.
• This species is part of the Agamidae family and is known for its unique adaptations to desert life.
• Unlike most lizards, it is primarily herbivorous, feeding on desert vegetation. This makes it the only herbivorous lizard species in India.

Threats for the species

• • It is poached for its meat and to extract an oil believed to have medicinal properties. 
  • Once distributed across northwestern India and Pakistan, the lizard has disappeared from several areas due to habitat loss, poaching and wildlife trafficking. 
  • In India, it is now mostly confined to the desert areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat, but its numbers continue to dwindle. 
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature , which classifies the species as “vulnerable”, estimates a population decline of 30-35 per cent over the past three generations.

• Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule II