Body size, food habits, and burrow distribution and orientation in the North African Spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx acanthinura in Tunisia

摘要: MATERIALS AND METHODSStudy area.—Fieldwork was carried out on the slopes of the Matmata Mountains, Béni Khédache region, southeastern Tunisia (33.25 N, 10.20 E). The area is located between the northern edge of the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea (Gulf of Gabès; Fig. 1). Climate is characterized by dry summers and scarce precipitation that occurs in autumn and winter (Ouessar et al. 2006). The coldest period runs from December to February, with occasional freezing temperatures (down to-3 C); the warmest period corresponds to June, July, and August, when the ambient temperature can reach up to 48 C (Ouessar 2007). The annual rainfall increases