Ibiza wall lizard

Ibiza wall lizard
Conservation status
	; Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
	CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Podarcis
Species:	P. pityusensis
Binomial name
	Podarcis pityusensis; (Boscá, 1883)

Last updated May 06, 2024

The Ibiza wall lizard (Podarcis pityusensis) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is most closely associated with the island of Eivissa, or Ibiza, in the Balearic Islands, but has become naturalized in parts of Spain.

A subspecies,^[3]P. pityusensis formenterae, is limited in natural habitat to the islands of Formentera, Illa Conillera and Es Vedrà, south of Ibiza, but has been transported by humans to several other locations in the Mediterranean. The Formentean subspecies tends to be more brightly coloured than its Ibizan and mainland con-specifics.

The natural habitats of P. pityusensis are temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.

Description

The Ibiza wall lizard grows to a maximum snout-to-vent length of 7 cm (3 in) but adults are usually a little smaller than this. The tail is about twice as long as the body. It is robust with a short-head and rounded body with relatively coarse, slightly keeled scales. The dorsal surface is usually green but can be grey or brownish. There is usually a well-defined pale dorso-lateral stripe and there may be a row of dark spots or a dark line running along the spine. The underside is white, cream, grey, orange or pink and the throat, and occasionally the belly, may be blotched with darker colour.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The Ibiza wall lizard is native to the islands of Ibiza and Formentera in the Balearic Islands and the neighbouring rocky islets. It has been introduced to Muella de Palma (Mallorca), Barcelona where it once was assumed it died out but was 're-discovered' in 2007 (Bruekers, 2007) in the town of Aleria in southern Spain and the island of Gaztelugatxe in northern Spain. It is found at altitudes of up to 475 m (1,558 ft) above sea level. This lizard largely inhabits vegetated areas especially in those association with man. As well as gardens, pasture and arable land, it is found on rocks, especially near the coast.^[1] On some small islets, it may be very common and live almost exclusively on rock.^[4]

Biology

The Ibiza wall lizard feeds on small invertebrates including a high proportion of ants when they are available. It also eats vegetable matter, especially during the summer. Females generally produce a single clutch of one to four eggs. These hatch after a few weeks and the hatchlings are about 3.2 cm (1.3 in) long from snout to vent. They become sexually mature at the age of one and a half or two years.^[4]

Status

Although this lizard does not seem to be in overall decline and faces no significant threats, its total area of occurrence is less than 5,000 km² (1,930.5 sq mi) so the IUCN lists it as being "Near threatened".^[1] More recently, the lizard is facing a threat from invasive snakes which originated from mainland Spain which came to Ibiza in imported olive trees.^[5]

Gallery

The subspecies Formentera wall lizard (P. pityusensis formenterae)
Scavenging on fish scraps

Related Research Articles

Formentera is a Spanish island located in the Mediterranean Sea, which belongs to the Balearic Islands autonomous community (Spain) together with Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza.

Podarcis is a genus of lizards in the family Lacertidae. Its members look very similar to lizards of the genus Lacerta, to which they were considered to belong until the 1970s. While similar externally and ecologically, Podarcis form a distinct group differing from Lacerta by the construction of the skull and the hemipenis, and by the processes of the caudal vertebrae. They are commonly known as wall lizards. They are native to Europe and northern Africa, and most species are restricted to the Mediterranean region. Wall lizards diversified and hybridized during the Messinian salinity crisis. The Italian wall lizard and the common wall lizard have been introduced to North America, where they have become intermediate hosts for some Acuariidae larvae.

The Pityusic Islands, often referenced simply as the Pityuses, or commonly but informally as the Pine Islands, is the name given collectively to the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Formentera, S'Espalmador and other small islets in the Mediterranean Sea.

Erhard's wall lizard, also commonly called the Aegean wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Europe.

<i>Podarcis hispanicus</i> Species of lizard

Podarcis hispanicus, also known as Iberian wall lizard, is a small wall lizard species of the genus Podarcis. It is found in the Iberian peninsula, in northwestern Africa and in coastal districts in Languedoc-Roussillon in France. In Spanish, this lizard is commonly called lagartija Ibérica.

The Madeiran wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is the only species in the genus Teira. The species is endemic to the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal. In the Azores, this lizard has become naturalized after involuntary introduction by the shipping trade between the two archipelagos. There are four recognized subspecies.

The Iberian rock lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Portugal and Spain. Its natural habitats are mountain forests, shrubland, rivers and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Podarcis carbonelli, commonly known as Carbonell's wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to Portugal and Spain.

The filfola lizard or Maltese wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Italy and in the island group of Malta. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens.

The Skyros wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the islands of Skyros and Piperi, Greece.

Lilford's wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain.

The Peloponnese wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, arable land, pastureland, plantations, and rural gardens.

The Tyrrhenian wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to the islands Corsica and Sardinia and their associated islets. There are ten recognized subspecies.

The Sicilian wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. Endemic to Italy, it occurs in Sicily and the Aegadian Islands. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens. The IUCN does not consider it to be a threatened species. Three subspecies are recognized: P. w. antoninoi, P. w. marettimensis, and P. w. waglerianus.

The Moroccan rock lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. Its classification is uncertain and it has been placed in the genera Teira, Podarcis, Lacerta or Scelarcis. It is found in Algeria and Morocco and has been introduced to the island of Menorca in Spain. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, sea coasts and urban areas.

The horseshoe whip snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southwestern Europe and northern Africa.

Macroprotodon cucullatus, commonly known as the false smooth snake, is a species of mildly venomous colubrid snake endemic to the Mediterranean Basin.

The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a province and autonomous community of Spain, with Palma de Mallorca being its capital and largest city.

Podarcis tauricus, the Balkan wall lizard, is a common lizard in the family Lacertidae native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is a terrestrial species found in steppe, grassland, olive groves, cultivated land, meadows, rural gardens, sparsely vegetated sand dunes and scrubby areas.

References

1 2 3 Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Iñigo Martínez-Solano (2009). "Podarcis pityusensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2009: e.T17800A7482971. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T17800A7482971.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
↑ Info on Sub-species of wall lizards Archived 2014-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
1 2 3 Arnold, E. Nicholas; Ovenden, Denys W. (2002). Field Guide: Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe. Collins & Co. p. 158. ISBN 9780002199643.
↑ Ibiza, Louise Callaghan (2023-07-07). "Ibizans take up clubs against plague of snakes killing off their beloved lizard". The Times . ISSN 0140-0460 . Retrieved 2023-07-07.

Bruekers, J. (2007) - Wiederentdeckung von Podarcis pityusensis pityusensis in Barcelona - Die Eidechse, Bonn, 18: 79-84

External links

Cold-blooded Cannibals: Extreme Adaptations to Island Life is a short documentary on adaptations to island life in the Ibiza Wall Lizard.

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[iucn_status_15_November_2021-1] 1 2 3 Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Iñigo Martínez-Solano (2009). "Podarcis pityusensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2009: e.T17800A7482971. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T17800A7482971.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.

[2] "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.

[3] Info on Sub-species of wall lizards Archived 2014-03-23 at the Wayback Machine

[Collins-4] 1 2 3 Arnold, E. Nicholas; Ovenden, Denys W. (2002). Field Guide: Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe. Collins & Co. p. 158. ISBN 9780002199643.

[5] Ibiza, Louise Callaghan (2023-07-07). "Ibizans take up clubs against plague of snakes killing off their beloved lizard". The Times . ISSN 0140-0460 . Retrieved 2023-07-07.

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