The Greek rock lizard (''Hellenolacerta graeca'') 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 ...

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are temperate

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in ...

, rocky areas, and pastureland. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

.The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has listed it as being "

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...

Description

The Greek rock lizard is a medium-sized species growing to a snout-to-vent length of about with a tail at least twice as long as this. The body is somewhat flattened and the legs are relatively long and slender. The colour is usually a glossy greyish-brown but may be more yellowish-brown, sometimes with a faint reddish tinge. Males have irregular dark spots on the back and dark flanks with many small pale spots. Females have smaller heads, fewer dark spots on the back and the pale spots on the flanks are more diffuse. Sometimes there are one or two blue spots above the shoulder; in males, these may extend a short way along the flanks. The underparts are yellow or orange and are usually speckled with fine dark markings, especially on the throat.

Distribution and habitat

The Greek rock lizard is endemic to southern

where it is found only in the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

region, at altitudes of up to above sea level but usually within the range . It is typically found near streams and pools, in light woodland, at the edge of fields bordering woodland and in shady areas of rock or scree.(rocky habitats with sufficient humidity).

Behaviour

The Greek rock lizard is an agile species and climbs on rocks, walls, parapets and tree trunks but avoids prolonged periods in the full sun. Although it is mainly a climber, it does sometimes forage on the ground. The female lays a single clutch of up to six eggs, in a crevice or concealed place, and the eggs take about six weeks to hatch. When the lizard gets angry, it will in some cases spit acid at other animals that annoy it.

Status

The chief threats faced by the Greek rock lizard are

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are pr ...

and the planting of ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

'' trees in place of the natural vegetation of the region. Although the lizard is quite common in places, its total area of occupancy is only around and as the amount of suitable habitat is reduced, its numbers are decreasing. The

has listed it as being "

" and bordering on " vulnerable.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15148364, from2=Q682510 Lacertidae Endemic fauna of Greece Lizards of Europe Reptiles described in 1886 Taxa named by Jacques von Bedriaga Taxonomy articles created by Polbot