RAS question
Which of the following is a characteristic reptile of Rajasthan's desert habitats?
Correct answer: (C) Spiny-tailed Lizard (Saara hardwickii).
The spiny-tailed lizard (Saara hardwickii), locally known as Sanda, is the characteristic reptile among the listed species found in Rajasthan's Thar Desert habitats.
Explanation
The answer is the spiny-tailed lizard because it is a reptile, not simply any desert animal. The Desert National Park management plan records Indian spiny-tailed lizard among the important reptiles of the Thar landscape and lists Saara hardwickii under reported threatened reptiles. In its reptile section, the plan also names spiny-tailed lizard as a commonly found reptile and notes that it is covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Sanda is a distinctive Thar desert species and receives special protection because it faces exploitation. Desert fox and desert cat do occur in the same desert habitat, but they are mammals, so they cannot answer a reptile-identification question.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Desert Fox is listed from the same landscape, but it is a mammal and therefore cannot be the characteristic reptile.
- (B) All of the above is wrong because two listed species, Desert Fox and Desert Cat, are mammals rather than reptiles.
- (D) Desert Cat occurs in the desert fauna, but the management plan identifies it as a mammal, not a reptile.
Concept
This tests fauna of Rajasthan's arid ecosystem, especially the ability to distinguish Thar Desert reptiles from mammals sharing the same habitat. It recurs in RAS because desert biodiversity, protected species and Wildlife (Protection) Act status are standard Environment and Rajasthan geography themes.