The sun is up in the Thar desert, and cold-blooded spiny-tailed lizards need to step out of their burrow to warm up. But hungry predators lurk just around the corner. Will the alert spiny get away?
About the contributor
Pradeep Hegde
is a conservation filmmaker and a wildlife cameraman with a passion for solution-based storytelling. He also produces films and works in close collaboration with various on-ground conservation teams.
View Profile
Related Content
Species
Meet Spiny, the Only Herbivorous Lizard Species in India
Vipul Ramanuj
Catherene Christian
How the spiny-tailed lizard copes with its habitat in the desert and its many predators
Video
Bishnois: Guardians of the Chinkaras
Pradeep Hegde
Meet the graceful chinkara that springs across the Thar. Also, meet its guardian angels — the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who watch over everything that thrives in the hot desert
Video
The Ultimate Survivor: The Swagger of the Bengal Monitor
Sustain Team
The Bengal monitor lizard is an extraordinary survivor. It has roamed the planet for over 50 million years, battling storms, floods, droughts. Watch the scaly, cold-blooded predator swagger across India’s forests
Infographic
Spiny‑tailed Lizard: Facts, Size, Habitat
Nisarg Prakash
Diviya Mehra
All you need to know about this hardy survivor of extreme deserts
Photo Story
Dune Dinos: Laungwala Toad-headed Agama of the Thar Desert
Soumabrata Moulick
With thick skin, a heavily scaled body, and perfect camouflage, this lizard is well adapted to living in one of the harshest environments in the world
Video
Thar: The Secret Lives of a Harsh Desert
Pradeep Hegde
The dry and deceptively empty Thar desert has an incredible story to tell – of spectacular diversity, unusual creatures, and exemplary survival strategies