The Tyrrhenian wall lizard (''Podarcis tiliguerta'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

. The species is native to the islands

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

and

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

and their associated islets. There are ten recognized

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

Habitat

The 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 of ''P. tiliguerta'' 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' ...

s, temperate

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 ...

, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate

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 ...

, rocky areas, sandy shores,

arable land Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...

, pastureland, and rural gardens.

Conservation status

''P. tiliguerta'' is not considered a

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

by the

IUCN 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 ...

Subspecies

Ten subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the

nominotypical subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Podarcis tiliguerta contii'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta eiselti'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta granchii'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta grandisonae'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta maresi'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta pardii'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta ranzii'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta rudolphisimonii'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta tiliguerta'' *'' Podarcis tiliguerta toro'' ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

other than ''Podarcis''.

Etymology

The

subspecific name In zoological nomenclature, a subspecific name is the third part of a trinomen. In zoology there is only one rank below that of species, namely "subspecies". In botanical nomenclature, there are several levels of subspecific names, such as ''vari ...

, ''granchii'', is in honor of Italian herpetologist Edoardo Granchi of the ''

Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze The Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze is a natural history museum in 6 major collections, located in Florence, Italy. It is part of the University of Florence. Museum collections are open mornings except Wednesday, and all day Saturday; an adm ...

''. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Podarcis tiliguerta granchi'', p. 105).

References

* Brizzi R, Lanza B (1975). "The natural history of the Macinaggio Islets (northeastern Corsica) with particular reference to their herpetofauna". ''Natura'' (Milan) 66 (1–2): 53–72. (''Podarcis tiliguerta rudolphisimonii'', new subspecies, p. 61). (in English, with an abstract in Italian). * Gmelin JF (1789). ''Caroli a Linné Systema naturae. Tom. I. Pars III.'' Leipzig: G.E. Beer. pp. 1033–1516. (''Lacerta tiliguerta'', new species, p. 1070). (in Latin). *Lanza B (1966). "''Su due nuove razze insulari di'' Lacerta sicula ''e di'' Lacerta tiliguerta". ''Archivio Zoologico Italiano'' (Naples) 51: 511–522. (''Lacerta tiliguerta ranzii'', new subspecies, p. 516). (in Italian, with an abstract in English). *Lanza B (1972). "The natural history of the Cerbicale Islands (southeastern Corsica) with particular reference to their herpetofauna". ''Natura'' (Milan) 63 (4): 345–407. (''Lacerta tiliguerta eiselti'', new subspecies, p. 381; ''L. T. grandisonae'', new subspecies, p. 387; ''L. t. maresi'', new subspecies, p. 389). (in English, with an abstract in Italian, and quotations in French). *Lanza B, Brizzi R (1974). "On two new Corsican microinsular subspecies of ''Podarcis tiliguerta'' (Gmelin, 1789) (Reptilia Lacertidae)". ''Natura'' (Milan) 65 (3–4): 155–193. (''Podarcis tiliguerta granchii'', new subspecies, p. 184; ''P. t. pardii'', new subspecies, p. 174). (in English, with an abstract in Italian). *Lanza B, Brizzi R (1977). "The lizard of Piana di Cavallo Island (southeastern Corsica): ''Podarcis muralis contii subsp. nova'' ". ''Natura'' (Milan) 68 (3–4): 157–165. (''Podarcis muralis contii'', new subspecies, p. 158). (in English, with an abstract in Italian). * Mertens R (1932). "''Zur Verbreitung und Systematik einiger Lacerta-Formen der Apenninischen Halbinsul und der Tyrrhenischen Inselwelt'' ". ''Senckenbergiana'' 14: 235–259. (''Lacerta muralis toro'', new subspecies, p. 246). (in German). Podarcis Fauna of Corsica Fauna of Sardinia Lizards of Europe Reptiles described in 1789 Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{lacertidae-stub

Habitat

Conservation status

Subspecies

Etymology

References

Further reading