Horvath's rock lizard | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Lacertidae |
Genus: | Iberolacerta |
Species: | I. horvathi |
Binomial name | |
Iberolacerta horvathi (Méhelÿ, 1904) |
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Synonyms | |
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Horvath's rock lizard (Iberolacerta horvathi ) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. Until recently, this species was assigned to the same genus as the morphologically similar sand lizard (Lacerta agilis). The natural habitats of I. horvathi are temperate forests and shrublands, and rocky areas.
The specific name, horvathi is in honor of Hungarian entomologist Géza Horváth.
The geographic range of I. horvathi in central and southern Europe in mountainous areas of southern Austria, northeastern Italy, western Slovenia, and western Croatia is fragmented, and believed to be a relict of a much larger range during the last ice age. The small, fragmented range of this species is the main cause of concern for the survival of this species, which is why it is given Near threatened status in the IUCN Red List and is also legally protected in the countries in which it lives.
Horvath's rock lizard grows to a snout-to-vent length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in). It has a blunt snout and is dorso-ventrally flattened. The upper surface is pale greyish-brown contrasting sharply with the dark brown sides and the unspotted white or yellowish belly. There is sometimes a thin faint dark line along part of the spine or some dark speckles. The young lizards are similarly coloured but often have a greyish-green tail.