The Milos wall lizard (''Podarcis milensis'') is a small

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

lizard. The lizard's body length is no more than 6.5 cm, and the tail is twice as long. The lizard looks sturdy, and has a broad head. The male's appearance is characteristic for the species. The back is usually brown, and has a slight longitudinal line in the middle of it. Flanks, throat and the sides of the head are black with white, yellow, blue or light green spots. The belly has often black patterning. A typical female has white stripes on the edges of its back, and some distinctive spots in the throat. The Milos wall lizard inhabits a few Aegean islands in

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 ...

. They are

Milos Milos or Melos (; el, label=Modern Greek, Μήλος, Mílos, ; grc, Μῆλος, Mêlos) is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete. Milos is the southwesternmost island in the Cyclades group. The ''Venus d ...

Kimolos Kimolos ( el, Κίμωλος; la, Cimolus) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It lies on the southwest of the island group of Cyclades, near the bigger island of Milos. Kimolos is the administrative center of the municipality of Kimolos, which ...

Falkonera Falkonera ( el, Φαλκονέρα) or Gerakoulia (Γερακούλια), anciently known as Hierakia (Ἱεράκια), is a small uninhabited Greek island in the southwestern Aegean Sea, between the island of Milos and the Peloponnese. Although ...

, Antimilos and Parapola. The species prefers cultivated lands. These lizards bask in the sun in the banks and piles of stones. They hunt in the open ground or among plants. Subspecies: *''Podarcis milensis milensis'' *''Podarcis milensis gerakuniae'' *''Podarcis milensis schweizeri'' The species is becoming rare due to

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 ...

Sources

*E. N. Arnold, J. A. Burton (1978). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe
Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe

References

* Database entry includes a range map and a brief justification of why this species is near threatened {{Taxonbar, from=Q1551674 Podarcis Endemic fauna of Greece Cyclades Lizards of Europe Reptiles described in 1882 Taxa named by Jacques von Bedriaga