Bocages wall lizard

Appearance

Bocage's wall lizard grows to a snout-to-vent length of about 7 cm with a tail twice as long as this, males being larger than females. It is a sturdy lizard, somewhat flattened, and resembling Carbonell's wall lizard . The dorsal surface is usually grey or yellowish-brown, but is sometimes green in males, copiously speckled with rows of dark markings. The flanks may be brownish or yellowish. The underparts are white, yellow, pink or orange but there are not any of the small blue spots along the edge of the belly often present in Carbonell's wall lizard.

Naming

Both the specific name, ''bocagei'', and the common name, Bocage's wall lizard, are in honor of Portuguese zoologist José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage.

Distribution

Bocage's wall lizard is found in northern Portugal and northwestern Spain as far southwards as the River Douro. Its typical habitat is open deciduous woodland, scrubland, coastal sand dunes and cultivated areas, including in villages.

Status

Bocage's wall lizard is common in suitable habitat within its range. The population is steady and faces no specific threats and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Habitat

Bocage's wall lizard is found in northern Portugal and northwestern Spain as far southwards as the River Douro. Its typical habitat is open deciduous woodland, scrubland, coastal sand dunes and cultivated areas, including in villages.

Reproduction

This species is oviparous. Sexually mature females lay 2-4 clutches of eggs each year. Clutch size varies from 2 to 9 eggs.