They spend most of their waking hours basking in the sun, hiding in underground chambers at night time or when danger appears.

Their spiked tail is muscular and heavy, and is able to be swung at an attacker with great velocity, usually accompanied by hissing and an open-mouthed display of (small) teeth.

[7] Uromastyx generally sleep in their burrows with their tails closest to the opening, in order to thwart intruders.

When hatching, baby Uromastyx eat their own mother's feces as their first meal before heading off to find a more sustainable food source.

[citation needed] In captivity female U. dispar maliensis tend to mimic males in color.

Uromastyx are removed from the wild in an unregulated manner for the pet and medicinal trade in Morocco, despite their protected status in the country; conditions of the animals while being sold is often extremely poor and overcrowding is common.

[10] Historically, captive Uromastyx had a poor survival rate, due to a lack of understanding of their dietary and environmental needs.

[citation needed] In recent years, knowledge has significantly increased, and appropriate diet and care has led to survival rates and longevity approaching and perhaps surpassing those in the wild.

[16][17][18][19] In Judaism, this lizard is traditionally identified as the biblical tzav, one of the eight "creeping" animals forbidden for consumption that impart ritual impurity.