Biology
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Iberian rock lizards are only active between late February and October, spending the cooler winter months hibernating. During this short period of activity, the lizards must find a mate and breed. The exact period of mating activity varies between populations, with those inhabiting the harsh, mountainous environment breeding much later than those living in the milder climate of the coastal areas. In the mountains, time is even more limited and males tend to commence mating as soon as females become active after the winter (4). Aggressive encounters are often observed between males at this time, as they attempt to claim a mate, particularly between the larger, older green males (5).
Female Iberian rock lizards lay one to two clutches of eggs each year, although only the largest females seem able to lay two clutches. The clutches, consisting of four to nine eggs, begin hatching in August, and hatching continues until the end of October (4). Female Iberian rock lizards become sexually mature at an age of around two or three years, at which point females measure between 52.4 and 56.0 millimetres and males are between 50.7 and 51.8 millimetres in length (4).
Conservation
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The Iberian rock lizard occurs in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, Portugal and in a number of protected areas in the Cantabrian Mountains, Spain (1), and it also receives protection through its listing on Annex II of the Bern Convention (1) (8). In addition, an action plan for this species is being developed in Portugal (1).
Description
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Belonging to the Lacertidae family, sometimes called the true lizards, the Iberian rock lizard has a robust, flattened body with long limbs, long toes (3), and a tail which is about twice as long as the snout-vent length (2). Male and female Iberian rock lizards differ markedly in their appearance (4); females have brown upperparts and pale green bellies (4), while males may be either bright green or dull brown, with the bright green males tending to be both larger and older (5). Some older males may also have some blue spots on the edges of the scales at the sides of the abdomen (4).
Habitat
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In most areas, the Iberian rock lizard inhabits rocky, damp, mountainous habitat, where it occurs close to the tree-line in areas of scrub and boulders, at altitudes up to 2,000 metres (1). However, the Iberian rock lizard is not exclusively a mountain-dwelling species as it also occurs at sea level in Galicia, in coastal lowland forest, sometimes close to streams (1).
Range
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The Iberian rock lizard occurs in Spain and Portugal, where two subspecies are currently recognized. Iberolacerta monticola monticola is restricted to the Serra da Estrela of Portugal, while Iberolacerta monticola cantabrica is distributed across a much wider area in northwest Spain including the Cantabrian Mountains and Galicia (6) (7).
Status
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Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1).
Threats
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Some populations of the Iberian rock lizard are believed to be declining which, in combination with its small and highly fragmented distribution, has led to this species being considered Vulnerable to extinction. The main threat causing this fall in numbers is habitat loss; a result of fires, conversion of land to agriculture and forestry, and development for tourism (1).
Distribution
provided by ReptileDB
Continent: Europe
Distribution: Portugal (Serra da Estrela), Spain (Cantabrian Mts., Galicia)
Iberian rock lizard
provided by wikipedia EN
The Iberian rock lizard (Iberolacerta monticola) 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.
Description
The Iberian rock lizard measures about 8 cm (3 in) from snout to vent with a long, slender tail twice as long again. It is somewhat flattened with finely boned, short limbs. The colour varies in different parts of its range. The general colour is a light brown/green color variously patterned with longitudinal bands of colour or longitudinal rows of dots and small patches. Unlike some other wall lizards, the stripe along the spine is less dark than other bands. Most, but not all, individuals have a distinctive green belly and the juveniles may have blue tails.[5] A 2008 field study reported the underparts of Iberian rock lizards turn green with maturity, and the upperparts gradually turn green as the lizard ages further.[6]
Distribution and habitat
The Iberian rock lizard is found in the Cantabrian Mountains and in Galicia in northwest Spain, and also in the Sierra de Gredos in Central Spain and Serra da Estrela in central Portugal. It occurs at sea level in Galicia, but elsewhere is seldom found below an altitude of 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) above sea level in the mountains. It favours damp places among boulders in scrubby areas, and in Galicia, it is found in low-level woodlands.[1] It is a cold-resistant species, often found above the tree line in areas where the winters are long and the summers wet or misty.[5] Where its range overlaps that of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), it is found at higher altitudes and it climbs higher up cliffs.[5]
Reproduction
Male Iberian rock lizards are often territorial in the breeding season. The eggs, laid by sexually mature females under stones or in other concealed locations, are about 10 to 15 mm (0.39 to 0.59 in) long. The young hatch out after about six to eight weeks and mature in about two years.[5] A 2008 field study found females mate with males with more green on their bodies.[6]
Status
The Iberian rock lizard is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, because of fragmentation of its range and threats to its habitat posed by agriculture, forestry activities and tourism. Where conditions are suitable, it can be quite common, but other populations are declining in size.[1]
Subspecies
Three subspecies of Iberolacerta monticola are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[4]
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Iberolacerta.
References
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^ a b c Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Paulo Sá-Sousa, Rafael Marquez, Iñigo Martínez-Solano (2009). "Iberolacerta monticola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61448A12487278. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61448A12487278.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) -
^ Boulenger GA (1905). "A Contribution to our Knowledge of the Varieties of the Wall-Lizard (Lacerta muralis) in Western Europe and North Africa". Trans. Zool. Soc. London 17: 351-420 + Plates XXII-XXIX. (Lacerta muralis Var. monticola, new variation, pp. 365-368 + Plate XXIV, figures 11-13).
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^ Arnold EN, Burton JA (1978). A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. (Illustrated by D.W. Ovenden). London: Collins. 272 pp. + Plates 1-40. (Lacerta monticola, pp. 141-142 + Plate 24, figues 1a-1d).
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^ a b "Iberolacerta monticola ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
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^ a b c d Arnold, Nicholas [in French]; Denys Ovenden (2002). Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. London: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd. pp. 148–150.
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^ a b Galán, Pedro (2008). "Ontogenetic and sexual variation in the coloration of the lacertid lizards Iberolacerta monticola and Podarcis bocagei. Do the females prefer the greener males?". Animal Biology. 58 (2): 173–98. doi:10.1163/157075608X328026.
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Iberian rock lizard: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
The Iberian rock lizard (Iberolacerta monticola) 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.
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- Wikipedia authors and editors
