Moroccan rock lizard | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Lacertidae |
Genus: | Scelarcis Fitzinger, 1843 |
Species: | S. perspicillata |
Binomial name | |
Scelarcis perspicillata | |
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Synonyms | |
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The Moroccan rock lizard (Scelarcis perspicillata) 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 Moroccan rock lizard is a medium-sized, rather flattened species growing to a snout-to-vent length of 6 cm (2.4 in) with a tail about 1.7 times its body-length. Various colour forms exist. In Morocco it is usually greyish-brown often with two broad, pale stripes along the back. In Minorca the colour is buff, grey or greyish-green densely covered with dark, net-like markings. In all areas, the tail is often bluish, particularly in smaller individuals. It can be distinguished from other similar lizards by the presence of a transparent "window" in its lower eyelid. The underparts are white or bluish. Occasional completely dark-coloured individuals occur. [2]
The Moroccan rock lizard occurs in northwestern Africa, mainly in the mountain of Morocco but also down to sea level in Algeria. It was first recorded in Minorca in 1928. [2]
The Moroccan rock lizard is an agile species and is found climbing on rocks, walls, cliffs and boulders, on tree trunks, on the ground among scrub and around buildings. It forages on the ground as well as on rocks. Its tail is rather fragile and individuals with regenerating tails can often be found. Females lay small clutches of one to three measuring 12 to 17 millimetres (0.47 to 0.67 in) by 6 to 8 millimetres (0.24 to 0.31 in). [2]
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Tarentola mauritanica, known as the common wall gecko, is a species of gecko (Gekkota) native to the western Mediterranean area of Northwestern Africa and Europe and widely introduced to America and Asia. It is commonly observed on walls in urban environments, mainly in warm coastal areas. However, it can be found further inland, especially in Spain where it has a tradition of cohabitation with humans as insect hunter. A robust species, up to 150 millimetres long, its tubercules are enlarged and give the species a spiny armoured appearance. It is a nocturnal animal with a predominantly insectivorous diet.
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Rothschild's rock-wallaby – sometimes known as the Roebourne rock-wallaby, is a species of macropod found in Western Australia, in the Pilbara district and the Dampier Archipelago. It is not currently considered to be threatened, but is at risk from the red fox.
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The sharp-snouted rock lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and possibly Albania, where its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, rural gardens, and urban areas.
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 Barbary ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is monotypic within the genus Atlantoxerus. It is endemic to Western Sahara, Algeria and Morocco and has been introduced into the Canary Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, temperate grassland and rocky areas where it lives colonially in burrows. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The rock dormouse or flat-headed African dormouse is a species of rodent in the family Gliridae. It is found in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe where it lives among rocks in upland areas. It is a fairly common, mainly nocturnal species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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