Taurian lizard
| Taurian lizard | ||||||||||||
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Taurian lizard ( Podarcis tauricus ) |
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| Podarcis tauricus | ||||||||||||
| ( Pallas , 1814) |
The Taurian lizard ( Podarcis tauricus , Syn. : Podarcis Taurica ) belongs to the genus of wall lizards ( Podarcis ) and lives in Southeast Europe .
features
The lizard reaches a head-torso length of about six to eight centimeters, the tail can reach more than twice the length, whereby the animal is altogether 20 to 24 centimeters long. It is robustly built and only slightly flattened with a short head. The basic color is a marbling of light and dark brown to black tones, the middle of the back is colored green and on the flanks there are two white stripes from head to tail. Patternless specimens are rare. The underside of the lizard is whitish to orange-red and spotless.
distribution and habitat
The Taurian lizard lives in the southern Balkans , north to Hungary. It inhabits flat and hilly areas up to 1800 meters above sea level. As a habitat, it prefers not too dry grass and cultivated land , overgrown sand dunes or roadsides and walls. It is a ground-dwelling, hardly climbing lizard .
Systematics
The following subspecies of the Taurian lizard are distinguished:
- Podarcis tauricus ionica , which lives in Albania and western Greece
- Podarcis tauricus thasopulae , which inhabits the island of Thasopulos
- Podarcis tauricus tauricus , which inhabits the remaining area
The Skyros wall lizard ( Podarcis gaigeae ) living on the Skyros archipelago is very similar . T. is regarded as a subspecies of the Tauride or the Cycladic wall lizard.
Hazard and protection
The Tauride Lizard is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its large distribution area and the wide range of habitats . Like all European reptiles, it is listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention ( Convention on the Conservation of European Wild Plants and Animals and their Natural Habitats ) and thus enjoys strict protection within the European Union . The animals may neither be killed nor caught.
literature
- Axel Kwet: Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-440-10237-8 , p. 173.
- Benny Trapp: Amphibians and reptiles of the Greek mainland. NTV, Münster 2007, ISBN 978-3-86659-022-9 , pp. 170-173.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Podarcis tauricus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2007. Posted by: Böhme, W., Lymberakis, P., Ajtic, R., Tok, V., Ece, I., Sevinç, M., Crochet, PA. , Haxhiu, I., Krecsák, L. & Sterijovski, B., 2006. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
