Cyren's Rock Lizard (Iberolacerta cyreni): habitat and range

Fun facts

It is a glacial relic trapped on the summit: it was left isolated on the peaks of the Sistema Central when the ice retreated, and as the climate warms it can only go up, in mountains that have no more height left to offer.
Its total range amounts to a few square kilometres spread across three massifs, and the populations of each sierra have been out of contact with each other for thousands of years.
The males develop a greenish tone and blue spots on their flanks during the breeding season, and communicate through chemical secretions from the femoral pores that other lizards detect with their tongues.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat and environment: Stony ground, scree and high mountain grassland of the Sistema Central, above 1,700 metres
Size at birth: About 2.5 cm of body on hatching
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 50 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 5 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberolacerta_cyreni

Where to find it

Best time: From May to September, on sunny days, above 1,600 m in Gredos, Guadarrama and Béjar, on scree and rocky outcrops.

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Cyren's Rock Lizard — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family

How to help

The cyren's rock lizard is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 6 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

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Cyren's Rock Lizard