biology

Uromastyx ornata

Uromastyx ornata is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Uromastyx ornata rather than just read about it. In short: Uromastyx ornata, commonly called the ornate mastigure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. Etymology The subspecific name, philbyi, is in honor of British Arabist Harry St.

Key takeaways

Uromastyx ornata belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Uromastyx ornata to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Uromastyx ornata from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Uromastyx ornata, commonly called the ornate mastigure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae.

Etymology The subspecific name, philbyi, is in honor of British Arabist Harry St. John Bridger Philby.

Subspecies Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

Uromastyx ornata ornata Heyden, 1827 Uromastyx ornata philbyi Parker, 1938

Geographic range and habitat The species is endemic to the Middle East. It can be found on rocky areas in Egypt, Southern Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Description

Uromastyx ornata can reach a total length of about 35 cm (14 inches). These medium-sized lizards are among the most colorful members of the genus. Body color is rather variable, but basically greenish, with a series of yellowish annuli. They have a significantly long, very spiny and slightly flattened tail, formed by 20-23 segments. On the anterior margin of the ear opening there are a few enlarged scales. On the upper side of the thighs small spines are present. They are sexually dichromatic, as body colour depends on different sexes. In males, the main color of the back is green, blue or red with dark brown bands which can be filled with yellow or rounded yellow spots, often forming transversal rows. Females are dimmer, with a light brown background of the back and light yellow transversal lines. The belly is whitish.

Behavior They are active during the day and live alone or in small groups consisting of one male and several females. They dig burrows up to 1 meter deep. During the breeding season adult males become very colorful. They, like most other members of their genus, are primarily herbivorous, though sometimes taking insects in the case of several species as well as various individuals.

Conservation status U. ornata is considered Least Concern by the IUCN, but rated as EN (B,C2a) according to "Endangered species in Israel, the red list of threatened animals".

Bibliography Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I. ... Agamidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. (Uromastix ornatus, p. 406). Heyden CHG (1827). "Reptilien ". pp. 1–24 + Plates 1-6. In: Rüppell E (1827). Atlas zu der Reise in nördlichen Afrika. Erste Abtheilung Zoologie. Frankfurt am Main: H.L. Brönner. vi + 350 pp. (Uromastyx ornatus, new species, pp. 1–5 + Plate 1). (in German).

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Uromastyx ornata

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Uromastyx ornata claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Uromastyx ornata before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Uromastyx ornata ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Uromastyx ornata

In research: Uromastyx ornata appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Uromastyx ornata in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Uromastyx ornata is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Agamid lizards of Africa, Fauna listed on CITES Appendix II, IUCN Red List least concern species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Uromastyx ornata outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Uromastyx ornata in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Uromastyx ornata means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Uromastyx ornata out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Uromastyx ornata in simple terms?

Uromastyx ornata, commonly called the ornate mastigure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. Etymology The subspecific name, philbyi, is in honor of British Arabist Harry St.

Why does Uromastyx ornata matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Uromastyx ornata?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Uromastyx ornata.