Review of the lizard fauna of Jordan

Jordan's lizard fauna is highly diverse, representing 55.5% of the country's terrestrial herpetofauna, with Arabian species dominating (43%). The study reveals that Wadi Rum and the Badia region in southern Jordan serve as a biogeographical filter, hosting species primarily of Arabian affinities that do not extend westward. These areas are part of the Levantine land bridge, facilitating isolation among congeneric species like Ptyodactylus, which may have driven evolutionary divergence. Additionally, Jordan marks the southern limit for some Palaearctic lizard species, such as Lacerta media and Pseudopus apodus, highlighting its role in connecting Mediterranean and Arabian ecosystems. The research synthesizes distributional data to elucidate biogeographical patterns and evolutionary dynamics in this ecologically significant region.

Disi, A. M. (2011). Review of the lizard fauna of Jordan. Zoology in the Middle East, 54(sup3), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2011.10648900