Reptiles · Squamata · Lacertidae

Iberian Emerald Lizard

Lacerta schreiberi

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Iberian emerald lizard, or Schreiber's green lizard, is an Iberian endemic tied to the mountain watercourses of the north-west of the peninsula. The male wears an intense green flecked with black and, in the breeding season, a head and throat of brilliant turquoise blue. It depends on well-preserved riverbanks and its distribution is highly fragmented.

Weight

30 g – 70 g

Size

25 cm – 40 cm

Lifespan

8 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

Moderate

Temperate forestMountainFreshwaterInsectivore Diurnal Solitary Near Threatened Reptile Temperate forest Mountain Freshwater

2countries 21parks13same family

Fun facts

GeneralEndemic to Iberia; in spring the male's head and throat turn a deep blue.
It is a strict Iberian endemic: it exists only in the north-west of the peninsula, in Galicia, along the Cantabrian coast, in the Sistema Central and in a few Portuguese sierras, always tied to mountain streams.
In the breeding season the male's head and throat turn an intense turquoise blue that contrasts with the green of the body, making it one of the most striking lizards in the Spanish fauna.
Its populations in the Sistema Central are isolated glacial relicts and are among the most threatened: they depend on mountain streams whose shrinking under climate change leaves them with nowhere to go.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Riverside woods, damp oak forest and mountain meadows
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 70 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 12 eggs

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