Whilst birdwatching in the Taif
area of western Saudi Arabia I came across a few Yemen Rock Agama Acanthocercus yemensis. The Yemen Rock
Agama occurs in northern Yemen and adjacent Saudi Arabia, but the limits of its
distribution in Saudi Arabia are currently not well known. It occurs from
around 2,000 to 3,000 metres above sea level mainly in rocky habitats. They
occur both on the ground and climbing rocky surfaces, and including stone-walls
and human habitations. These individuals were at 1950 metres above sea level
and well north of where I have seen them previously. One of them has prickly pear spines stuck in it as it was living in rocks with the plants growing nearby.
