Biodiversity and Distribution of Lizards in Jazan area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Jazan region is one of the most important areas of the Kingdom that is located in the southwest of the country. It is considered one of the richest areas in biodiversity and it encompasses a large group of lizards belonging to different families. The aim of the current research is to survey different types of lizards in Jazan. Materials and Methods: Lizards were collected from Al-Aradha, AL-tuwal and Damad by hand capturing between dawn and midmorning, or shortly before sunset. Results: In this work, eight species belonging to four families (Camaeleonidae, Scincidae, Gekkonidae, and Agamidae) were collected and identified. Most of the gathered species belong to the family Gekkonidae. Conclusions: The widespread of species belonging to the family Gekkonidae may be attributed to the ability of these species to withstand various climatic conditions and to live in different habitats using the available facilities to survive and broadly distribute.