One of the 9 wall lizards on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Lacertidae
Large Psammodromus
Psammodromus algirus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The large psammodromus is a member of the family Lacertidae native to southern France, the Iberian Peninsula, north-west Africa, the Galite archipelago (Tunisia) and the Isola dei Conigli, beside the island of Lampedusa. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean woodland and areas of scrub, as well as farmland.
Size
7 cm – 9 cm
Lifespan
5 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- GeneralIts tail can be three times the length of its body; one of the commonest lizards in Iberia.
- Its tail can be three times the length of its body, and it is the first thing you see as it flees through the leaf litter: the rustle of its dash beneath the cistus is one of the commonest sounds of the Spanish Mediterranean scrub in summer.
- It is the staple prey of much of the Iberian scrub's predator community: snakes, shrikes, harriers and genets depend in part on its abundance.
- The males develop blue spots on their flanks and an orange tone on the throat during the breeding season, and compete with displays and chases rather than with fights.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Mediterranean scrub with leaf litter, and cistus thickets
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 60 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 6 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psammodromus_algirus
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 36 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Large Psammodromus — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Viviparous Lizard
Zootoca vivipara
Western Green Lizard
Lacerta bilineata
Common Wall Lizard
Podarcis muralis
Spanish Wall Lizard
Podarcis hispanicus
Moroccan Rock Lizard
Scelarcis perspicillata
Ocellated Lizard
Timon lepidus
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