Sicilian wall lizard
| Sicilian wall lizard | ||||||||||||
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Sicilian wall lizard ( Podarcis waglerianus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Podarcis waglerianus | ||||||||||||
| Gistel , 1868 |
The Sicilian wall lizard ( Podarcis waglerianus ) is a lizard from the genus of lizards , on Sicily , with the exception of the Northeast, the Aeolian and Egadi endemic is.
features
The Sicilian wall lizard reaches a total length of 22 to 25 centimeters. Their body reaches up to 7.5 centimeters and their tail about twice that length. The females are a bit smaller. Their backs are usually green or, in females, olive-brown with a light back stripe and one to three rows of black spots. The flanks have black and some blue spots, although individuals without a mark are also known. The belly is lighter to whitish, in the males orange-red, and the throat is spotted with black.
habitat
They are only found in Sicily with the exception of the northeast, the Lipari and Egadi Islands , where the subspecies P. w. marettimensis has been described. They live in flat and mountainous areas up to about 1600 meters altitude, according to other sources only up to 1200 meters, especially in dry and sparsely vegetated areas and can also be found in cities.
In contrast to the ruin lizard ( Podcaris sicula ), the Sicilian wall lizard lives more on the ground and does not often climb walls and rocky slopes. While the latter is the more common species in the interior of Sicily, the ruin lizard is more common on the coast.
Way of life
The lizards are diurnal and live almost exclusively on the ground. They usually lay 4 to 6 eggs. These are approximately 11–13 mm × 7–9 mm in size. The young hatch after about eight weeks with a total length of 5.5 to 6 cm.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 , p. 169.
- ^ A b c d E. Nicholas Arnold: A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe (= Collins Field Guide. ). Illustrated by Denys W. Ovenden. 2nd edition, reprinted with corrections. Collins, London 2004, ISBN 0-00-219964-5 , pp. 163-164.
Web links
- Podarcis waglerianus in The Reptile Database
- Photos of the Sicilian wall lizard on www.herp.it
- Podarcis waglerianus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: laudia Corti, Roberto Sindaco, Antonio Romano, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2013.