Lacerta viridis
Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The European green lizard (Lacerta viridis) is a large lizard distributed across European mid-latitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, or sheltering amongst bushes.
There is an ongoing discussion as to whether Lacerta viridis and Lacerta bilineata are separate species. Genetic data weakly supports their separation into two species, but more investigation needs to be done. The lizard reaches up to 15 cm (5.9 in) from the tip of the muzzle to the cloaca. The tail can be up to twice the length of the body; the total length is up to 40 cm (16 in). This lizard sometimes sheds its tail (autotomy) to evade the grasp of a predator, regrowing it later.
The male has a larger head and a uniform green colour punctuated with small spots that are more pronounced upon its back. The throat is bluish in the adult male and to a lesser extent in the female. The female is more slender than the male and is more uniform in colour, often displaying between two and four light bands bordered by black spots.
The European green lizard is native... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 4 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Brno Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Zagreb Zoo | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 4 | Leningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Zoo Hirschstetten | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 6 | Kleinzoo Wasserstern | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 8 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 9 | Lake Tisza Ecocentre | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Lizard sighting in Istanbul on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 9 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–July and September–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Lizard in Istanbul on a given day, against under 5% in August and November–April, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Green Lizard sightings, Istanbul ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Budapest (Hungary, about 30%), Prague (Czechia, about 10%) and Vienna (Austria, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Green Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Istanbul (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
