Al Samakat al Sahra (“fish of the desert”)

The Egyptian spiny-tailed lizard, Uromastyx aegyptius microlepis, is not easy to see in the sandy or gravely desert of Sharjah. The timid Dabb loves to bask in the sun near its burrow where he can hide quickly when approached. They usually live in loose colonies, in separate burrows some 20-50 meters apart.
They are capable of changing their colour with change in their body temperature, turning from black to white or yellow as they warm up
Hunting them was banned by a 1983 federal law, and trade is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna.
Sharjah, Emirats Arabe Unis 🇦🇪

• Aperture: ƒ/7.1
• Camera: NIKON D850
• Caption: Dabb in Sharjah Emirates, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula
• Taken: 6 February, 2021
• Copyright: david@davidgabis.com
• Focal length: 390mm
• ISO: 200
• Shutter speed: 1/320s