Troodos lizard (Phoenicolacerta troodica)

The Lacertidae are the

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

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 popul ...

. 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'', 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 altho ...

(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 na ...

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'' species are among the few arboreal lacertids, and its two species, '' Holaspis guentheri'' and '' Holaspis laevis'', 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'', 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 angiosper ...

s – an appropriate food for a lizard of the harsh Namib Desert. 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 mammal ...

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, 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 historica ...

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, ''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 ...

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

Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''pala ...

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

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

( Ypresian) of

Mutigny Mutigny () is a commune in the Marne department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographi ...

, France in the Paris Basin. 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 t ...

. 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 ...

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 sub ...

'' (8 species) **Genus '' Psammodromus'' (6 species) *Subfamily Lacertinae **Tribe Eremiadini ***Genus ''

Acanthodactylus ''Acanthodactylus'' is a genus of lacertid lizards, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered lizards, fringe-toed lizards (though the latter common name is also used for the New World lizard genus ''Uma''), and spiny-toed lizards. Geographic ra ...

'' (42 species) ***Genus '' Adolfus'' (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 ''Eremias' ...

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

Heliobolus ''Heliobolus'' is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. The genus is endemic to Africa. Species There are six recognized species:Holaspis'' (2 species) ***Genus '' Ichnotropis'' (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, Somali ...

'' (10 species) ***Genus '' Meroles'' (8 species) ***Genus '' Mesalina'' (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'' (11 species) ***Genus '' Pedioplanis'' (16 species) ***Genus ''

Philochortus ''Philochortus'' is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. Species of this genus are distributed in Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. Etymology ''Philochortus'' means ...

'' (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. San ...

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

Algyroides ''Algyroides'' is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. Species The following species are recognised as being valid."''Algyroides'' " and "''Adolfus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Algyroides fitzingeri'' – ...

'' (4 species) ***Genus '' Anatololacerta'' (4 species) ***Genus '' Apathya'' (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 ar ...

'' (34 species) ***Genus ''

Dinarolacerta ''Dinarolacerta'' is a genus of wall 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 ...

'' (2 species) ***Genus '' Hellenolacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Iberolacerta'' (8 species) ***Genus ''

Iranolacerta ''Iranolacerta'' is a genus of wall lizards of the family ''Lacertidae''.Lacerta'' (10 species) ***Genus ''

Omanosaura ''Omanosaura'' is a genus of lizards of the family ''Lacertidae''.' ...

'' (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'' form ...

'' (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 the ...

'' (24 species) ***Genus ''

Teira The Madeiran wall lizard (''Teira dugesii'') is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Teira''. The species is endemic to the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal. In the Azores, this lizard has become natura ...

'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Timon'' (6 species) ***Genus '' Vhembelacerta'' (1 species) ***Genus '' Zootoca'' (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 ...

* †'' 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 Bale ...

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