Troodos lizard (Phoenicolacerta troodica)

The Lacertidae are the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to

Afro-Eurasia Afro-Eurasia (also Afroeurasia, Eurafrasia or the Old World) is a landmass comprising the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The terms are compound words of the names of its constituent parts. Its mainland is the largest and most populou ...

. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found in Europe. The group includes the genus ''

Lacerta Lacerta is one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. Its name is Latin for lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except ...

'', which contains some of the most commonly seen

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 ...

(thus "true" lizard) species in Europe.

Habitat

The European and Mediterranean species of lacertids live mainly in

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' ...

and scrub habitats. ''Eremias'' and ''Ophisops'' species replace these in the

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

and

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

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 of Asia. African species usually live in rocky, arid areas. ''

Holaspis ''Holaspis'' is a genus of equatorial African lizards in the Family (biology), family Lacertidae. These lizards are capable of gliding flight for distances of 30 meters (98 feet). Etymology The New Latin word "''Holaspis'' " is derived from th ...

'' species are among the few

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

lacertids, and its two species, ''

Holaspis guentheri ''Holaspis guentheri'', commonly known as the sawtail lizard or western neon blue-tailed tree lizard is a species of lizard occurring in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central ...

'' and ''

Holaspis laevis ''Holaspis laevis'', commonly known as the eastern serrate-toed tree lizard or eastern neon blue-tailed tree lizard is a species of lizard occurring in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, U ...

'', are gliders (although apparently poor ones), using their broad tail and flattened body as an aerofoil.

Description

Lacertids are small or medium-sized lizards. Most species are less than 9 cm long, excluding the tail, although the largest living species, ''

Gallotia stehlini The Gran Canaria giant lizard (''Gallotia stehlini'') is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in the Canary Islands. Etymology The specific name, ''stehlini'', is in honor of Swiss paleontologist Hans Georg Stehl ...

'', reaches 46 cm, and some extinct forms were larger still. They are primarily

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

. An exception is ''Meroles anchietae'', one of the few wall lizards that regularly eat

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s – an appropriate food for a lizard of the harsh

Namib Desert The Namib ( ; pt, Namibe) is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. The name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namib ...

. Lacertids are remarkably similar in form, with slender bodies and long

tail The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, r ...

s, but have highly varied patterns and colours, even within the same species. Their scales are large on the head, which often also has

osteoderm Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates, or other structures based in the dermis. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles and amphibians, including lizards, crocodilians, frogs, temnospondyls (extinct amp ...

s, small and granular on the back, and rectangular on the underside. Most species are

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

, with the males and females having different patterns. At least eight species from the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

are

parthenogenetic Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development ...

,Darevskii IS. 1967. Rock lizards of the Caucasus: systematics, ecology and phylogenesis of the polymorphic groups of Caucasian rock lizards of the subgenus ''Archaeolacerta''. Nauka: Leningrad n Russian: English translation published by the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre, New Delhi, 1978Tarkhnishvili DN (2012) Evolutionary History, Habitats, Diversification, and Speciation in Caucasian Rock Lizards. In: Advances in Zoology Research, Volume 2 (ed. Jenkins OP), Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge (NY), p.79-120 and three species give birth to live young, including the

viviparous lizard The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara''), is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning i ...

, ''Zootoca vivipara''.

Evolutionary history

Lacertids are suspected to have originated in Europe, due to their earliest fossils being found in the region, alongside those of their

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and t ...

, the extinct Eolacertidae. Fossils possibly attributable to lacertids are known from the

Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...

of France and Belgium, though the oldest definitive lacertid is known from the early

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

(

Ypresian In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

) of

Mutigny Mutigny () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Marne department *Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park (French: ''Parc naturel régional de la Mont ...

, France in the

Paris Basin The Paris Basin is one of the major geological regions of France. It developed since the Triassic over remnant uplands of the Variscan orogeny (Hercynian orogeny). The sedimentary basin, no longer a single drainage basin, is a large sag in the cr ...

. Lacertids dispersed into Asia by the early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

. The timing of the colonisation of Africa is uncertain, ranging from the Eocene to the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

Classification

The classification into subfamilies and tribes below follows one presented by Arnold ''et al.'', 2007, based on their

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

analysis. Family Lacertidae *Subfamily Gallotiinae **Genus ''

Gallotia The genus ''Gallotia'' are the lacertids (wall lizards) of the Canary Islands. This genus consists of a group that has been evolving there ever since the first islands emerged from the sea over 20 million years ago. The endemic species and subsp ...

'' (8 species) **Genus ''

Psammodromus ''Psammodromus'' is a small genus of sand lizards of the family ''Lacertidae''. It has six described species, which are found in European and North African countries next to the Mediterranean. Species The following species are recognized as ...

'' (6 species) *Subfamily Lacertinae **Tribe Eremiadini ***Genus '' Acanthodactylus'' (42 species) ***Genus ''

Adolfus ''Adolfus'' is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. The genus is endemic to subsaharan Africa. Etymology The generic name, ''Adolfus'', is in honor of German explorer Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayso ...

'' (6 species) ***Genus '' Australolacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Congolacerta'' (2 species) ***Genus ''

Eremias ''Eremias'' is a genus of lizards in the family Lacertidae, the wall lizards. They are native to Asia and southeastern Europe, where they live in desert and steppe regions.Rastegar-Pouyani N, Rastegar-Pouyani E (2001)"A new species of ''Eremi ...

'' (37 species) ***Genus '' Gastropholis'' (4 species) ***Genus '' Heliobolus'' (4 species) ***Genus ''

'' (2 species) ***Genus ''

Ichnotropis ''Ichnotropis'' is a genus of African lizards in the family Lacertidae. Species in the genus ''Ichnotropis'' are commonly called rough-scaled lizards."''Ichnotropis'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Species The following six s ...

'' (6 species) ***Genus ''

Latastia ''Latastia'' is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. Species of this genus are distributed in Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Zambia, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Soma ...

'' (10 species) ***Genus ''

Meroles ''Meroles'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as desert lizards, in the Family (biology), family Lacertidae. The genus contains eight species, inhabiting southwestern Africa, especially the Namib Desert. Description Desert lizards have fine, ...

'' (8 species) ***Genus ''

Mesalina ''Mesalina'' is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. Species The following 20 described species are recognized as being valid."''Mesalina'' ". The Reptile DatabaseReptile-database.cz/ref> *'' Mesalina adramitana'' – Hadramaut s ...

'' (20 species) ***Genus ''

Nucras ''Nucras'' is a genus of African lacertid lizards, commonly called sandveld lizards. Species The following 13 species are recognized as being valid. *''Nucras aurantiaca'' *'' Nucras boulengeri'' - Uganda savannah lizard, Boulenger's scrub l ...

'' (12 species) ***Genus ''

Ophisops ''Ophisops'' is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. They are small lacertids characterized by transparent lower eyelids that are completely or partially fused with the upper lids to form a cap over the eye. Species of the genus ...

'' (11 species) ***Genus '' Pedioplanis'' (16 species) ***Genus '' Philochortus'' (7 species) ***Genus '' Poromera'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Pseuderemias'' (7 species) ***Genus ''

Tropidosaura ''Tropidosaura'' is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. The genus is endemic to southern Africa. Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second Impression. Sanibe ...

'' (4 species) **Tribe Lacertini ***Genus '' Algyroides'' (4 species) ***Genus '' Anatololacerta'' (4 species) ***Genus ''

Apathya ''Apathya'' is a genus of lizards of the family (biology), family ''Lacertidae''. Species * ''Apathya cappadocica'' (Werner, 1902) - Anatolian lizard * ''Apathya yassujica'' (Nilson, Rastegar-Pouyani, Rastegar-Pouyani & Andrén, 2003) - Yassujia ...

'' (2 species) ***Genus '' Archaeolacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Atlantolacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Dalmatolacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus ''

Darevskia ''Darevskia'' is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae living in the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey in forest and grassy habitats with numerous rock outcrops. Among rock lizards, 7 parthenogenetic species are known. Description These are ...

'' (34 species) ***Genus '' Dinarolacerta'' (2 species) ***Genus '' Hellenolacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus ''

Iberolacerta ''Iberolacerta'' is a genus of lizards in the family Lacertidae. The genus contains at least eight described species, which are mainly found in Spain and France. ''Iberolacerta horvathi'' (Horvath's rock lizard) has a wider geographic range, bei ...

'' (8 species) ***Genus '' Iranolacerta'' (2 species) ***Genus ''

'' (10 species) ***Genus '' Omanosaura'' (2 species) ***Genus '' Parvilacerta'' (2 species) ***Genus '' Phoenicolacerta'' (4 species) ***Genus ''

Podarcis ''Podarcis'' is a genus of lizards in the family Lacertidae. Its members look very similar to lizards of the genus ''Lacerta'', to which they were considered to belong until the 1970s. While similar externally and ecologically, ''Podarcis'' fo ...

'' (26 species) ***Genus '' Scelarcis'' (1 species) ***Genus ''

Takydromus ''Takydromus'' is a genus of lizards, commonly called grass lizards or oriental racers. Species of the genus ''Takydromus'' are endemic to a large part of Asia. Members of this genus are noticeable because of their slender appearance and thei ...

'' (24 species) ***Genus '' Teira'' (1 species) ***Genus ''

Timon Timon is a masculine given name and a surname which may refer to: People * Timon of Athens (person), 5th-century Athenian and legendary misanthrope * Timon of Phlius (c. 320 BCE – c. 235 BCE), a Pyrrhonist philosopher of Ptolemaic Egypt and Hell ...

'' (6 species) ***Genus '' Vhembelacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus ''

Zootoca ''Zootoca'' is a genus of lizards of the family ''Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the 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 ...

'' (2 species) The latest extensive phylogenetic lacertid tree was made by Baeckens ''et al.'' in 2015.

Extinct genera

* †'' Succinilacerta''

Baltic amber The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of amber, called Baltic amber or succinite. It was produced sometime during the Eocene epoch, but exactly when is controversial. It has been estimated that these forests created more than 1 ...

* †'' Plesiolacerta'' Europe, Eocene-

* †'' Dracaenosaurus'' France, Oligocene * †'' Maioricalacerta''

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Quercycerta'' France, Eocene * †'' Janosikia'' Germany,

* †'' Escampcerta'' France, Eocene * †'' Mediolacerta'' France, Germany, Oligocene * †'' Pseudeumeces'' France, Germany, Spain, Oligocene-Miocene * †'' Amblyolacerta'' France, Czech Republic, Miocene * †'' Ligerosaurus'' France, Miocene * †'' Miolacerta'' Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Oligocene-Miocene * †'' Edlartetia'' Augé and Rage 2000 Germany, France Austria, Miocene * †'' Escampcerta'' France, Eocene * †'' Cernaycerta''? France,

(questioned by some authors) * †'' Dormaalisaurus'' France, Belgium, Spain, Eocene

References

External links

The Reptile Database, Family Lacertidae

Herpetoculture of Lacertidae
{{Authority control Taxa named by Nicolaus Michael Oppel Lizard families Extant Chattian first appearances