The approximately 40 species in the genus Acanthodactylus are native to a wide area in North Africa, southern Europe and Western Asia; across the Sahara Desert, to the Iberian Peninsula, and east through the Arabian Peninsula, to Afghanistan and western India.

[2] Though lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus prefer dry and sparsely vegetated regions, they are not strictly tied to an arid terrain; so it is not uncommon to come across them in various environments.

[citation needed] Members of the genus Acanthodactylus possess the following combination of traits:[2] The coloration and pattern of spots of Acanthodactylus is extremely variable, so it is unsurprising that zoologists have, at one time or another, classified every variety as a separate species.

[citation needed] Every saurian of the genus Acanthodactylus is very aggressive and gets continuously involved in skirmishes with other members of its species.

The total length of a sexually mature adult of the genus is, on average, 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in).