Tyrrhenian mountain lizard
| Tyrrhenian mountain lizard | ||||||||||||
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Tyrrhenian mountain lizard ( Archaeolacerta bedriagae ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Archaeolacerta | ||||||||||||
| Mertens , 1921 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Archaeolacerta bedriagae | ||||||||||||
| ( Camerano , 1885) |
The Tyrrhenian mountain lizard ( Archaeolacerta bedriagae ) is a species of lizard that occurs in Corsica and Sardinia . The specific epithet honors the Russian herpetologist Jacques von Bedriaga (1854–1906).
features
The Tyrrhenian mountain lizard is large, strong and reaches a total length of 20 to 28 cm, of which six to eight centimeters are accounted for by the strongly flattened body. The scales on the back are smooth and grainy. The head is pointed and broad at the temples. Usually the Tyrrhenian mountain lizards show a greenish back and on it a net-like, dark pattern with olive or brownish spots in between. More rarely they are monochrome, then mostly green to brown-black. The flanks are often copper-colored. The belly is whitish to reddish, sometimes also spotted. Young animals have a blue-green tail.
Way of life
The Tyrrhenian mountain lizard lives mainly in the mountains at altitudes of 500 to 2700 meters. In north-east Sardinia it can also be found at sea level. It prefers rocky regions with little vegetation and feeds on insects and spiders. The animals hibernate for five to six months. In spring the female lays three to six eggs.
Subspecies
- Archaeolacerta bedriagae bedriagae (Camerano, 1885), Corsica
- Archaeolacerta bedriagae paessleri (Mertens, 1927), Northern Sardinia
- Archaeolacerta bedriagae sardoa (Peracca, 1903), southern Sardinia
literature
- Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 .
Web links
- Archaeolacerta bedriagae in The Reptile Database
- Archaeolacerta bedriagae inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Posted by: Claudia Corti, Marc Cheylan, Roberto Sindaco, Antonio Romano, Patrick Haffner, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2013.