Psammodromus algirus
Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Psammodromus algirus, known commonly as the Algerian psammodromus or the large psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa. There are four subspecies:Psammodromus algirus algirus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Psammodromus algirus doriae Bedriaga, 1886 Psammodromus algirus nollii Fischer, 1887 Psammodromus algirus ketamensis Galán, 1931 Psammodromus algirus is found in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and in Southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula: Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar; southernmost France, and Italy near Lampedusa).
The IUCN assessment from 2009 treats Psammodromus algirus nollii and Psammodromus algirus ketamensis as full species and restricts Psammodromus algirus to North Africa. Psammodromus algirus typically occurs in dense bushy vegetation, but it can also venture to more open areas. It can be found at elevations up to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) above sea level, but it is more common at lower elevations.
Psammodromus algirus preys mainly on terrestrial arthropods, specifically Orthoptera, Formicidae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Large Psammodromus sighting in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, based on 212 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 18 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to June
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Large Psammodromus in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Psammodromus sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Large Psammodromus sightings, Sierra de Guadarrama National Park ranks 4th at about 30%. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 60%), Monfragüe National Park (Spain, about 50%) and Doñana National Park (Spain, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Lacertidae
The closest relatives of the Large Psammodromus that you can see in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (family Lacertidae, Wall Lizards) are Guadarrama Wall Lizard (about 40%), Common Wall Lizard (about 30%) and Cyren’s Rock Lizard (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Psammodromus is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (212 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
