This species occurs throughout UAE waters. Globally, it is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific (Randall et al. 1997, Iwatsuki et al. 1999, Kapoor et al. 2002, Rajan et al. 2011, Allen and Erdmann 2012). The depth range is 1 to 30 m (Randall 1995, Woodland 2001).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts from sea level to 300 m asl (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is more frequently recorded north of Abu Dhabi through the sandy deserts to Ras al Khaimah.Globally, this species ranges from Egypt, south through Sudan (but apparently absent from South Sudan; Broadley and Wallach 2007), Somalia and Ethiopia to Kenya and northern Tanzania, and east from Israel, Jordan, Syria and southeastern Turkey, through Iran (Khuzestan Province) and Iraq to the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and northwestern India. It is not present in Lebanon.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy desert and gravel plains from sea level to 199 m asl. It is generally found in coastal areas and associated with man (Gardner 2013). Isolated records exist of the species at higher elevation from 900 to 1,000 m asl. It is also known from Dalma and Sir Bani Yas islands of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). Within the UAE, this species also appears to be associated with development and urbanisation in parts of its range.The natural range of this species is not clear since it appears to have been introduced over much of its range (S. Baha El Din pers. comm. 2009). Populations on the African coast have almost certainly been introduced (Largen and Spawls 2010) and the only report from Eritrea is that of von Heyden (1827), so there is considerable doubt about whether the species still persists there. The current global range (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008) of this species is from Eritrea, through Sudan (where it was reported from Port Sudan; Loveridge 1947), Egypt (Flower 1933), Israel (introduced to Eilat; Hoofien 1995, Dolev and Perevelotsky 2002, Werner 1987), southwestern and northeastern Jordan (Sindaco et al. 1995, Disi et al. 2001, Disi 2002), eastern Syria (Disi and Böhme 1996, Martens 1997), Turkey (southeast Anatolia only; Baran and Atatür 1998, Sindaco et al. 2000), most of Iraq, western and southwestern Iran (Anderson 1999), northwestern, northern and eastern Saudi Arabia (with isolated central populations), southwestern Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, northern United Arab Emirates, eastern and southern Oman (van der Kooij 2000, Carranza et al. 2018), eastwards to Afghanistan (Leviton and Anderson 1963), Pakistan (Baig 1998, Baig et al. 2008, Masroor 2009, Rais et al. 2015) and India (Pardeshi et al. 2010, Vyas 2011). It has also been introduced to the USA (Texas) where it is currently believed to be expanding its range. This species can be found from sea level to 1,800 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is known from the Hajar Mountains between Asimah and Daftah (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press) and occurs at between 400-900 m asl. The species distribution might extend further, but due to its semi-fossorial habits, small size and difficulty to observe, it is under-sampled in surveys. This species is the most widely distributed member of its genus and has been recorded from southwestern Saudi Arabia, Yemen, southeast Kuwait, northern Oman, Iraq, northern and western Iran, southern Turkmenistan, southern Tajikistan, southeastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan (from Quetta to Chitral; Minton 1966), reaching its eastern range limit in the Indian state of Jammu-Kashmir (Sahi and Duda 1986). In Afghanistan Sindaco and Jeremçenko (2008) mapped lowland localities along the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Turkmenistan, however, the records provided by Wagner et al. (2016) suggest that the species is confined to montane areas in this country. A single specimen has also been reported from Syria (Aleppo; Jeremäenko and Szczerbak 1986), but the occurrence in this country needs to be confirmed, as do reports of its occurrence in Azerbaijan and Georgia (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008). It can occur up to 2,500 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is common across its range in sandy soils, from the west, east to the Hajar Mountains. It is absent from the Hajar Mountains, with isolated records along the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). The species occurs from sea level to 300 m asl.Globally, this species is found from the Arabian Peninsula to Iran, where it has been recorded from Khuzistan, Bushehr, and Kerman (west of Sirjan) provinces, and is probably present in all active dunes within this area (Latifi 1991, S.C. Anderson and T. Papenfuss pers. comm. 2008).

This is a common and widespread lizard species in the United Arab Emirates, found on sandsheets, dunes or sandy plains (Gardner 2013) from Abu Dhabi to Ras al Khaimah (Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). Absent from the Hajar Mountains and from the east coast. In the United Arab Emirates, the species occurs from sea level to 270 m asl.Globally this species ranges from southeastern Jordan into the Arabian Peninsula, including much of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman (except the mountainous areas and the Sharqiyah sands, where an endemic species, P. sakoi, occurs) and Iran (known only from the Mesopotamian Plain in the vicinity of Ahvaz). It is not known from Iraq. It occurs from sea level to around 1,000 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species occurs in the coastal desert areas from the Sila area to Dubai, with a few records inland in Abu Dhabi Emirate (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is frequently encountered at elevations from sea level to 100 m asl, occasionally above 100 m to 200 m asl.Globally, this species range includes eastern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, southeastern Jordan (Baker et al. 2005), Iran (Anderson 1999), southern Afghanistan, southwestern Pakistan and Turkmenistan (Arnold 1986, Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008). Globally, it occurs at elevations from sea level to 3,000 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is widespread along the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press) from Dubai westwards to the Saudi Arabian border. It has been recorded from the Gulf islands: Abu al Abyad, Al Aryam, Al Yasat North, Arzanah, Dalma, Ghasha, Jenanah, Marawah, Muhayyamat South, Reem, Sir Bani Yas, Umm al Hate, Umm al Qassar, Umm Kirkum, Ushsh and Zirku (Gardner 2013). There are older records (Sharjah Creek, 1970s; Arnold 1984) from Sharjah, but it is unlikely that the species persists there. The species occurs from sea level to 200 m asl. Globally, the species distribution range includes the United Arab Emirates, southeastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and southwestern and southern Iran (Å míd et al 2017).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread, including on the offshore islands from sea level to 500 m asl (Leptien 1993, Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press).Globally (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008), this species ranges from the Arava Valley in southern Israel, through Jordan (Amr et al. 1994, Disi 2002, Disi et al. 2001, 2004), northeastern Syria (Martens 1997, Disi and Böhme 1996), to Iraq, Iran (Anderson 1999; although it is not clear whether it reaches higher elevations of the Zagros Mountains) and Central Asia (Khan 2002, 2006), and south to the Arabian Peninsula (Arnold 1980, van der Kooij 2000), where it is widespread. It occurs from the lowlands up to 2,100 m asl (Afghanistan), however, in most of its range it appears to occur at lower elevations.

Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts and mountains areas from sea level to 1,000 m asl (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is also recorded from Sir Abu Nu'ayer and Sir Bani Yas islands (J. Els and A.S. Gardner pers. comm. 2018).This is a widespread desert species that ranges from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania eastwards through northern Africa to Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, with a southern range limit in northeast Ethiopia and northern Somalia (Largen and Rasmussen 1993, Largen 1997, Gonçalves et al. 2018).