[1][2] The species is found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa.

There are four subspecies:[2]Psammodromus algirus is found in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and in Southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula: Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar; southernmost France, and Italy near Lampedusa).

[1] P. algirus typically occurs in dense bushy vegetation, but it can also venture to more open areas.

[3] Psammodromus algirus mainly feeds on terrestrial arthropods, specifically Orthoptera, Formicidae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Araneae.

Dorsal colouration is usually metallic brownish with a pair of conspicuous white or yellowish stripes on both sides.