Thursday 16 August 2007

Guadarrama Wall Lizard (Podarcis guadarramae)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Podarcis (?) guadarrama ("Spanish")
Adult Guadarrama Wall Lizard (Podarcis guadarramae) at Toledo, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies - Podarcis guadarramae guadarramae
Weight: 3.7g  /  Length: 15-20cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A fairly common resident of Central Spain, it is found in a variety of habitats, including in Cities in fairly open places where they can bask, including rocks, stone plazas, walls and even manhole covers.  It is very variable in colouration and patterning across its range, which meant that identifying this species was a tricky, there are other species in the area with similar appearances.  This particular lizard was living on the rocky steps of a small plaza next to a church in Toledo - scurrying under the slabs whenever it felt threatened.  Formerly considered part of the Spanish Wall Lizard complex, more recent studies have split many of these species.

Related Species:
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Podarcis
SUBSPECIES: P. g. guadarramae, P. g. lusitanicus

 - Sighting Locations -
SPAIN - Spanish - Lagartija IbĂ©rica ("Wall Lizard")
Common to locally abundant resident associated with Granite outcrops.
 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A number seen in Madrid and Toledo
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several seen in at El Pardo

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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