Reptiles · Squamata · Lacertidae

Western Green Lizard

Lacerta bilineata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The western green lizard is a lizard of the family Lacertidae. Until recently it was regarded as a subspecies of Lacerta viridis, under the name Lacerta viridis bilineata, but the genetic differences found, which make hybrids less fertile, have led to the two being treated as separate species.

Weight

30 g – 70 g

Size

30 cm – 45 cm

Lifespan

10 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

Temperate forestMountainGrasslandInsectivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Mountain Grassland

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Fun facts

reproducciónThe males develop a deep blue throat in the breeding season, a visual signal of genetic quality to the females.
In the breeding season the male's throat turns an intense turquoise blue, and in some populations the female's does too, a feature that has been linked to signalling physical condition.
In Spain its distribution is limited to a strip across the north of the peninsula, and its populations depend on the hedgerows and margins between fields, a habitat in continual retreat.
It was separated from the eastern green lizard as a species of its own in the 1990s: for decades the two were regarded as a single widespread European species.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Hedgerows, field margins, scrub, sunny banks and woodland edges of south-western Europe
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 70 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 12 eggs

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