Podarcis tauricus

Podarcis tauricus
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Podarcis
Species:	P. tauricus
Binomial name
	Podarcis tauricus; (Pallas, 1814)
Synonyms
	Lacerta taurica Pallas 1814: 30; Podarcis taurica Engelmann et al. 1993; Podarcis tauricus Böhme & Köhler 2005;

Last updated December 12, 2024

Podarcis tauricus, the Balkan wall lizard, is a common lizard in the family Lacertidae native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor.^[2] It is a terrestrial species found in steppe, grassland, olive groves, cultivated land, meadows, rural gardens, sparsely vegetated sand dunes and scrubby areas.

Description

The Balkan wall lizard grows to a snout-to-vent length of about 8 cm (3.1 in) with a tail twice as long as this. It is a sturdy deep-headed lizard somewhat resembling a small green lizard. The basic colour is bright green in spring, fading to an olive-green olive-brown in summer. The markings are somewhat variable but may consist of two narrow, pale-coloured dorso-lateral stripes with the central part of the back brownish with black patches. The underparts are white and unblotched, but breeding males develop yellow, orange or red underparts and green throats.^[3]

Distribution

South-west Ukraine, Crimea Peninsula, eastern and southern Romania, south-east Hungary, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, mainland Greece, the Ionian Islands, Thassos, western Turkey (Thrace and north western Anatolia), Albania and southern Moldova.^[2] south-eastern Czech Republic

Habitat and ecology

Podarcis tauricus is a largely terrestrial species found in open areas of steppe, grassland, meadows, field edges, olive groves, traditionally cultivated land, rural gardens, sparsely vegetated sandy dunes and sometimes in open scrub. .^[1]

Females lay two clutches, of between two and ten eggs each, in a year.

Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognised^[2]

Podarcis tauricus tauricus
Podarcis tauricus thasopulae

Conservation status

The Balkan wall lizard is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of "least concern". This is because it is a common species wherever there is suitable habitat within its range.^[4]

Related Research Articles

Lacerta is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae.

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.

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.

The Milos wall lizard is a small Mediterranean lizard.

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.

The Anatolian rock lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in western Anatolia and on islands off the coast, where its natural habitats are temperate forests and rocky areas. A common species, the IUCN has listed it as being of "least concern".

Bocage's wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, sandy shores, rural gardens, and urban areas. The IUCN does not consider it to be threatened.

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

The Dalmatian wall lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, and pastureland.

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 Ibiza wall lizard 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.

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.

Podarcis cretensis, the Cretan wall lizard, is a species of lacertid lizard endemic to Crete.

Podarcis levendis is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to Greece.

References

1 2 Bowles, P. (2024). "Podarcis tauricus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2024: e.T204829909A137856195.
1 2 3 4 P. Uetz (ed.). "Podarcis tauricus (Pallas, 1814)". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
↑ Arnold, E. Nicholas; Ovenden, Denys W. (2002). Field Guide: Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe. Collins & Co. p. 175. ISBN 9780002199643.
↑ Wolfgang Böhme, Petros Lymberakis, Rastko Ajtic, Varol Tok, Ismail H. Ugurtas, Murat Sevinç, Pierre-André Crochet, Idriz Haxhiu, László Krecsák, Bogoljub Sterijovski, Lymberakis, Jelka Crnobrnja Isailovic, Podloucky, Dan Cogalniceanu, Aziz Avci (2009). "Podarcis tauricus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2009: e.T61554A12515695. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61554A12515695.en .{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)