The Italian wall lizard or ruin lizard (''Podarcis siculus'', from the Greek meaning agile and feet) is a species of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the family
Lacertidae
The Lacertidae are the family (biology), family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group o ...
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, but has also been introduced to Spain, Turkey, the United States, and Canada. It is the most abundant lizard species in southern Italy.
''P. siculus'' is a habitat generalist and can thrive in natural and human-modified environments. Similarly, ''P. siculus'' has a generalized diet as well, allowing it to have its large range.
''P. siculus'' is notable for having many subspecies within its large range. Studies evidence how rapidly ''P. siculus'' subspecies can become distinguishable from larger populations given geographic isolation. A 2008 study detailed distinct morphological and behavioral changes in a ''P. siculus'' population indicative of "rapid evolution".
''P. siculus'' is a sexually dimorphic lizard species whose physical description varies across its subspecies, but it generally has a green or brown back and white or green belly. It is also oviparous, meaning females lay their young in eggs, and they lay 3 or 4 clutches per year.
Physical description
The
snout–vent length
Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...
of ''P. siculus'' is on average. ''P. siculus'' is characterized by a green or brown back with a white or green belly. There is variation in length and color diversity due to the many subspecies and populations of ''P. siculus.'' For example, some subspecies are melanic, meaning that parts of the back and belly have hints of blue. Such coloration is found on island populations of ''P. siculus'' rather than continental populations.Dipineto L, Raia P, Varriale L, et al. (2018). "Bacteria and parasites in ''Podarcis sicula'' and ''P. sicula klemmerii'' ". ''BMC Veterinary Research'' 14 (1): 392. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1708-5
Head size is a sexually dimorphic trait, with males having larger heads and stronger jaws than females. It is hypothesized that this size difference is due in part to prey consumption needs in males and male-male aggression.Taverne M, Fabre A-C, King-Gillies N, et al. (2019). "Diet variability among insular populations of ''Podarcis'' lizards reveals diverse strategies to face resource-limited environments". ''Ecology and Evolution'' 9 (22): 12408–12420. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5626
Range
''P. siculus'' is native to Italy and is one of the most common lizards found in the nation. Its range also includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Switzerland. ''P. siculus'' has also been introduced to Spain, Turkey, and multiple sites in the United States.Crnobrnja-Isailovic J, Vogrin M, Corti C, Pérez Mellado V, Sá-Sousa P, Cheylan M, Pleguezuelos J, Sindaco R, Romano A, Avci A (2009). "''Podarcis siculus'' (errata version published in 2016)". ''The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species'' 2009: e.T61553A86151752. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61553A12515189.en. Downloaded on 31 October 2021
Habitat and ecology
''P. siculus'' is a habitat generalist and thrives in many natural and human-modified environments. Habitats of ''P. siculus'' include forests, grasslands,
shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...
s, rocky areas, and farmland.Corti, Claudia; Biaggini, Marta; Berti, Roberto (2009). "Different habitats, different pressures? Analysis of escape behaviour and ectoparasite load in ''Podarcis sicula'' (Lacertidae) populations in different agricultural habitats". ''Amphibia-Reptilia'' 30 (4): 453-461. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853809789647068 Web. It is able to live in such open habitats due to biological characteristics, such as high
thermophily
A thermophile is an organism—a type of extremophile—that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between . Many thermophiles are archaea, though they can be bacteria or fungi. Thermophilic eubacteria are suggested to have been among the earl ...
, which is the ability to thrive in high temperatures.
Diet
''P. siculus'' is a
generalist
A generalist is a person with a wide array of knowledge on a variety of subjects, useful or not. It may also refer to:
Occupations
* a physician who provides general health care, as opposed to a medical specialist; see also:
** General pract ...
predator. Its diet consists of a wide variety of invertebrates, mainly arthropods. ''P. siculus'' predates on small vertebrates as well.Bonacci, Teresa; Capula, Massimo; Brandmayr, Tullia Zetto; Brandmayr, Pietro; Aloise, Gaetano (2008). "Testing the predatory behaviour of ''Podarcis sicula'' (Reptilia: Lacertidae) towards aposematic and non-aposematic preys". ''Amphibia-Reptilia'' 29: 449-453. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853808785111986 Web. Plant matter comprises a much greater percentage of the diet of ''P. siculus'' than other related lizards. There is also a disparity in diet diversity between the sexes, with males having a more diverse diet than females. Contrary to common ecological thought, there is little relationship between habitat area and diet diversity for ''P. siculus''. Different levels of taxonomic prey diversity does not seem to affect the diversity of diets in different ''P. siculus'' populations, but insular populations of ''P. siculus'' do consume a greater percentage of plant matter as a part of their diet.
Predation
Predators of ''P. siculus'' include snakes, birds, and feral cats.Rocha, Iolanda. "''Podarcis Sicula''". ''Invasive Species Compendium'', https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/68192#tosummaryOfInvasiveness.
Reproduction
''P. siculus'' is
oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
. Females can lay 3 or 4 clutches of 4-7 eggs per year.Downes S, Bauwens D (2002). "Does reproductive state affect a lizard's behavior toward predator chemical cues?". ''Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology'' ''52'' (6): 444–450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-002-0538-3 The number of eggs laid per clutch does vary by population. For example, populations on small islands of Croatia lay fewer eggs that hatch into larger offspring. The reproductive season of ''P. siculus'' begins in May and ends in July. Gravidity does not impose major physical burden upon females. Gravid females engage in more basking behavior than their non-gravid counterparts.
The activity of P450 in the brain of male ''P. siculus'' differs based on the reproductive stage of the individual. Importantly, P450 localizes to parts of the brain involved in reproductive and behavioral regulation. Thus, P450 is implied in the regulation of sexual behavior in ''P. siculus.''
Disease
Parasites and bacteria are common among ''P. siculus'' and its various subspecies. Common bacterial species include ''
Pantoea
''Pantoea'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria of the family Erwiniaceae, recently separated from the genus ''Enterobacter''. This genus includes at least 20 species. ''Pantoea'' bacteria are yellow pigmented, ferment lactose, are motile, and ...
'', ''
Citrobacter
''Citrobacter'' is a genus of Gram-negative coliform bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae.
The species ''C. amalonaticus'', ''C. koseri'', and ''C. freundii'' can use citrate as a sole carbon source. ''Citrobacter'' species are differentia ...
'', ''
Morganella morganii
''Morganella morganii'' is a species of Gram-negative bacteria.eMedicineMorganella infections/ref> It has a commensal relationship within the intestinal tracts of humans, mammals, and reptiles as normal flora. Although ''M. morganii'' has a wide ...
Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
''Staphylococcus'' is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Staphylococcaceae from the order Bacillales. Under the microscope, they appear spherical (cocci), and form in grape-like clusters. ''Staphylococcus'' species are facultative ...
E. coli
''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...
, Schewanella,'' and '' Providencia''. When tested, one out of ten isolated strains of ''Citrobacter'' were multidrug-resistant. Other isolated strains were antibiotic resistant as well.
Parasite species include pinworms, '' Ophionyssus natricus,''
coccidia
Coccidia (Coccidiasina) are a subclass of microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled obligate intracellular parasites belonging to the apicomplexan class Conoidasida.
As obligate intracellular parasites, they must live and reproduce within an a ...
, and '' Dicrocoelidae''.
Some of the bacteria and parasites specific to continental populations of ''P. siculus'' have been identified to be zoonotic. Insular populations of ''P. siculus'' have similar levels of bacterial diversity to mainland populations.Tick infestation of ''P. siculus'' can be common in man-made habitats. Tick infestation is generally more pronounced in large males, which may be a result of their increased home ranges. Tick load varies based on the type of environment that ''P. siculus'' inhabits. For example, females inhabiting traditionally-managed olive plantations have significantly higher tick loads than those residing in intensively-managed olive plantations.
Behavior
Feeding
''P. siculus'' has a strong preference for the consumption of non-conspicuous prey.