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Italian Wall Lizard
Podarcis siculus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyLacertidae (Wall Lizards)
- GenusPodarcis
- SpeciesPodarcis siculus (Italian Wall Lizard)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
679 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
March Best month
About the Italian Wall Lizard
The Italian wall lizard or ruin lizard (Podarcis siculus, from the Greek meaning foot and agile), is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. P. siculus is native to southern and southeastern Europe, but has also been introduced elsewhere in the continent, as well as North America, where it is a possible invasive species. P. siculus is a habitat generalist and can thrive in natural and human-modified environments. Similarly, P. siculus has a generalized diet as well, allowing it to have its large range.
P. siculus is notable for having many subspecies within its large range. Studies evidence how rapidly P. siculus subspecies can become distinguishable from larger populations given geographic isolation. A 2008 study detailed distinct morphological and behavioral changes in a P. siculus population indicative of "rapid evolution".
P. siculus is a sexually dimorphic lizard species whose physical description varies across its subspecies, but it generally has a green or brown back and white or green belly. It is also oviparous, meaning females lay eggs, and they lay 3 or 4 clutches per year.
P. siculus contains dozens of subspecies. Many... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Italian Wall Lizard in Los Angeles
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naples | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 2 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 3 | Bursa | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 4 | Istanbul | 🇹🇷 Turkey | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Bucharest | 🇷🇴 Romania | |
| 7 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 8 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Lisbon | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
Closest Relatives at Los Angeles
No species of the same family or order lives in Los Angeles, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an Italian Wall Lizard in Los Angeles?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Italian Wall Lizard sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 679 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see an Italian Wall Lizard in Los Angeles?
March to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Italian Wall Lizard in Los Angeles on a given day, against under 5% in November to February, the lowest months.
Is Los Angeles the best place to see an Italian Wall Lizard?
10th of 13
Of the 13 cities where we can rate Italian Wall Lizard sightings, Los Angeles ranks 10th at about 10%. The best odds are in Naples (Italy, about 90%), Rome (Italy, about 60%) and Bursa (Turkey, about 50%).
Where does the Italian Wall Lizard sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Italian Wall Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Los Angeles (679 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.
