Locust lizard
| Locust lizard | ||||||||||||
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St. John's Lizard ( Ablepharus kitaibelii ) |
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| Ablepharus kitaibelii | ||||||||||||
| ( Bibron & Bory de Saint-Vincent , 1833) |
The St. John's Lizard ( Ablepharus kitaibelii ) is a species of the Skinks (Scincidae) and belongs here to the genus of the Snake-Eyes Skinks ( Ablepharus ). It reaches a body length of about 10 to 13.5 centimeters and lives in several subspecies in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
features
The locust lizard is a very small skinkart at 10 to 13.5 centimeters. The body is delicately slender and elongated, the legs are very short and the tail is relatively thick. Noticeable are the overgrown eyelids , which are reminiscent of the eyes of an adder and gave the entire genus its name. The body is monochrome metallic-brown to olive-green on top and has dark speckles that form longitudinal stripes on the body. The sides are dark brown, the belly grayish.
distribution and habitat
The nominate form of the Johannisechse Ablepharus kitaibelii kitaibelii is common in the entire Peloponnese as well as in the Cyclades and the southern Sporades . Ablepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri is known from southern Slovakia and northern Hungary , Ablepharus kitaibelii stepaneki from the Balkan Peninsula and the island form Ablepharus kitaibelii fabichi from some islands in the Eastern Aegean .
The species prefers warm and sunny areas at lower altitudes and is found mainly on meadows, dry grassland in olive groves and in deciduous forests with little vegetation.
Way of life
The locust lizard is diurnal and mostly hides in leaf litter and under flat stones during its activity phases. At the time of reproduction, the females lay two to four eggs in a nest of eggs, the young hatch after two months.
literature
- Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 .
Web links
- Photos of the St. John's Lizard on www.herp.it
- Ablepharus kitaibelii in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Boehme et al , 2005. Retrieved on 11 May, 2006.
- Ablepharus kitaibelii in The Reptile Database