Erhard's wall lizard

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Erhard's wall lizard
Photographed on Santorini
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Podarcis
Species:	P. erhardii
Binomial name
Podarcis erhardii (Bedriaga, 1882)
Synonyms[2]
Lacerta muralis fusca var. erhardii Bedriaga, 1882 Podarcis erhardi — Engelmann et al., 1993 Podarcis erhardii — Kroniger & Zawadzki, 2005

Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii), also commonly called the Aegean wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Europe.

Etymology

The specific name, erhardii, is in honor of a certain Dr. D. Erhard (first name unknown), a German naturalist, who was the author of Fauna der Cycladen (1858).^[3]

Geographic range

P. erhardii is found in the

The snout-to-vent length (SVL) of P. erhardii is about 7 cm (2.8 in), and the tail is twice as long. The head is rather wide, and the skin is smooth. The colour and patterning of this species vary a lot. The main colour is typically grey or brown, sometimes green. Females particularly are often striped. On the edges of the back two white stripes border two dark stripes or spotty lines. In the middle of the back may be a dark line. Some males have net-like patterning, where longitudinal and transverse lines and spots mix. The belly and often throat are white, yellow, orange or red, and in the Aegean Islands also green, blue or grey. The belly is never spotty, but sometimes there are blue spots on the hind legs.^{[citation needed]}

Habitat

Erhard's wall lizard lives in dry or rocky places with dense, low bushes. It climbs very well. The lizard populations in the Aegean archipelago inhabit open places, like plant-covered dunes, as well.^{[citation needed]}

Diet

Erhard's wall lizard eats arthropods, especially insects.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction

P. erhardii mates in spring, and lays eggs at the beginning of the summer. The young lizards hatch in September, then measuring 3 cm (1.2 in).^{[citation needed]}

Behaviour

P. erhardii chooses backgrounds that match its colour to enhance camouflage against avian predators in its natural habitat.^[4]

Subspecies

Although 28

• Podarcis erhardii erhardii (Bedriaga, 1882)
• Podarcis erhardii livadiacus (F. Werner, 1902)
• Podarcis erhardii riveti (Chabanaud, 1919)
• Podarcis erhardii thessalicus (Cyrén, 1941)
• Podarcis erhardii ruthvenii (Werner , 1930)