Iberolacerta

Val d' Aràn - rock lizard ( Iberolacerta aranica )

Iberolacerta is a genus of the Real lizards ( Lacertidae ) which occurs disjoint in mountainous regions of southern Europe. The distribution area includes central Portugal, the central and northern Spain, the French Pyrenees, northwestern Croatia, Slovenia and the adjacent areas of northern Italy. Occurrence of I. horvathi in southern Germany are probably due to exposure by humans.

Features

Iberolacerta species are small lizards that reach a head -body length of up to 85 mm. Head and body are slightly flattened. Adult females are larger than males. On the premaxilla sit seven to nine teeth, the pterygoid is edentulous. The hemipenes of the males has crown-shaped tubercles and hook-like spines.

The basic coloration of the lizards is brown or gray, less often green or bluish. The back is patterned with stripes, bands, a dark stripe along the center back or two rows of dots. The males of I. cyreni, I. galani and I. monticola have a different coloration of the females and have green backs and marbled edges. On the shoulder region is shown in I. monticola, I. and I. galani martinezricai a bruise. The belly is whitish, pale yellow, orange yellow or green colored, sometimes with a bluish or pink wrapping. The transition between abdominal and flank coloration is marked with blue dots except for I. aurelioi. The throat usually has the same coloring as the belly. Only when I. aurelioi and I. horvathi throat is white, while the belly is yellow. The belly can be a solid color or have spots. Young animals often have bright greenish or blue tails.

Habitat

Most Iberolacerta species occur exclusively in the mountains and often at great heights. They prefer rocky habitats with smooth rock surfaces or living on and under rubble. Only I. monticola lives in the northwest of Spain even at sea level in humid valleys and cliffs.

Reproduction

During mating, the males bite the flanks of the females. A clutch usually consists of three to ten eggs. Embryos in freshly laid eggs are often already far developed for the home in the Pyrenees species similar extent as in the ovoviviparous forest lizard ( Zootoca vivipara ). The time until the slip is relatively short and is in captivity captive bred 30 to 33 days.

Species

  • Spanish rock lizard ( Iberolacerta cyreni ( Müller & Hellmich, 1937) )
  • Beau's rock lizard ( Iberolacerta galani Arribas, Carranza & Odierna, 2006)
  • Croatian rock lizard ( Iberolacerta horvathi ( Méhely, 1904) )
  • Martinez - Rica - rock lizard ( Iberolacerta martinezricai ( Arribas, 1996) )
  • Iberian rock lizard ( Iberolacerta monticola ( Boulenger, 1905) )

Subgenus Pyrenesaura (species of the Pyrenees )

  • Val- d'Aràn - rock lizard ( Iberolacerta aranica ( Arribas, 1993))
  • Aurelio's rock lizard ( Iberolacerta aurelioi ( Arribas, 1994))
  • Pyrenean rock lizard ( Iberolacerta bonnali ( Lantz, 1927) )
Squamata Disjoint sets
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