Fauna Palaestina Part 2 Book By Dr Norman Ali Khalaf von Jaffa 2012

Reptiles:
There are 97 different native reptile species. They include two chameleon
subspecies, the Mediterranean chameleon (chamaeleo chamaeleon
recticrista), found in central and northern Palestine, and the Sinai
chameleon chamaeleo chamaeleon musae, found in southern desert regions.
Many lizards like the Lebanon lizard (lacerta laevis), the roughtail rock
agama (laudakia stellio stellio), desert monitors (Varanus griseus),
Egyptian dabb or mastigure or spiny-tailed lizard (uromastyx aegyptius),
skinks, geckos like the Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) are all
living in Palestine.
Palestine is home to a broad selection of turtles representing several
different orders: pond turtles, land turtles, softshell turtles, sea turtles and
leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea).
Palestine has two species of land tortoises: the Mediterranean spur-thighed
tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera), the most common turtle in Palestine and
the much rarer Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni), a desert species. The
temperate Mediterranean tortoise was one of the first creatures in Palestine
to be declared a protected species because its popularity as a pet, and in
some Mediterranean countries, as a delicacy. In fact in many parts of its
range it is now extinct or endangered. In Palestine though you can still
come across the tortoise in many areas, local parks and gardens, especially
during the spring.
Another easily seen turtle is the Caspian turtle or Striped-neck terrapin
(Mauremys caspica), which is found in ponds, drainage ditches, lakes,
sewage ditches and wetland areas. While the highly endangered African
softshell turtle (Trionyx triunguis) is on the verge of extinction in this
country, due to the pollution of Palestine's coastal rivers, the Caspian turtle
thrives in polluted water, with particularly high concentrations found in
sewage runoff and sewage treatment pools. While Caspian turtles can be
found all over central and northern Palestine, the Hula nature reserve in
northern Palestine is a particularly good place to see them, as wooden
boardwalks allow you to walk over the marsh and lake and see the turtles
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