Italian wall lizard
Male and female ruin lizard ( Podarcis siculus )
The ruin lizard ( Podarcis siculus ) belongs to the family of the Real lizards ( Lacertidae ) and to the genus of wall lizards ( Podarcis ).
Features
The ruin lizard reaches a total length of up to 25 centimeters. There is a strong wall lizard brownish, gray or green color. The underside is white, yellow, reddish or light green. In the middle of the back is a brown longitudinal stripes. The flanks are spotted in different brown, yellow and green tones.
About 40 subspecies have been described which differ mainly in color. A particularly beautiful Podarcis sicula coerulea subspecies is on Capri. It is black and has a blue belly.
Distribution and habitat
The ruin lizard lives in Italy, the northern Adriatic coast, Corsica, Sardinia and in the European part of Turkey. In one part of Andalusia, Menorca and at Philadelphia in the United States it was introduced by humans. Also in Germany ruin lizards were exposed by irresponsible terrariums holders. However, the populations could not hold for long. Ruin lizards inhabit diverse habitats, go up to an altitude of 1800 meters and come near human settlements even more frequently. There, they are often found in landfills, where they hunt the insects attracted by the waste.
Population on Pod Mrčaru
Italian scientists have 1971 ten ruin lizards of the island Pod Kopište 3.5 km further east transported to Pod Mrčaru (both Croatian islands are located in the Adriatic Sea at Lastovo ).
2007 and 2008, analyzes that the decades- long undisturbed population on Pod Mrčaru is now larger, on average, shorter hind legs and has slowly escapes. This is attributed to a lower threat of predators in the new habitat.
Furthermore, the head shape has changed and the jaw can bite stronger. Most surprising was the finding that the diet has shifted towards plant-based diet and the intestinal structure has changed to allow the digestion of cellulose by microorganisms.
Nutrition
Ruin lizards eat insects such as flies, butterflies, caterpillars, crickets and grasshoppers, but also spiders and worms.
Documents
- G. Diesner, J. Reichholf: Steinbach nature guide, amphibians and reptiles, Mosaik Verlag, 1996, Munich, ISBN 3-576-10697-9