Italian Wall Lizard

Italian Wall Lizard

Podarcis siculus

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
at Naples
453 Verified sightings at Naples
October 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 →

Global 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
~90%
2 Rome 🇮🇹 Italy
~60%
3 Bursa 🇹🇷 Turkey
~50%
4 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~40%
5 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Bucharest 🇷🇴 Romania
~10%
7 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
8 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Lisbon 🇵🇹 Portugal
~10%
10 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Italian Wall Lizard in Naples?

Very likely

About 90% of wildlife watchers report an Italian Wall Lizard sighting in Naples on a given day, based on 453 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 5 reptiles we can rate there.

When is the best time to see an Italian Wall Lizard in Naples?

October

In that month over 90% of wildlife watchers report an Italian Wall Lizard in Naples on a given day, against about 40% in January, the lowest month.

Is Naples the best place to see an Italian Wall Lizard?

Yes

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Italian Wall Lizard sightings, Naples has the highest daily chance: about 90%. Next come 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 Naples (453 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.

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