Ocellated lizard
| Ocellated lizard Timon lepidus |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Sauria |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Timon |
| Species: | T. lepidus |
| Binomial name | |
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Timon lepidus (Daudin, 1802) |
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| Subspecies | |
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T. l. ibericus López-Seoane, 1884 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Lacerta lepida Daudin, 1802 |
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T. l. ibericus López-Seoane, 1884
T. l. lepidus Daudin, 1802
T. l. nevadensis Buchholz, 1963
T. l. oteroi Castroviejo & Mateo, 1998
Lacerta lepida Daudin, 1802
The ocellated lizard, eyed lizard or jeweled lacerta in the pet trade (Timon lepidus) (syn. Lacerta lepida) is a species of wall lizard also known as the (Portuguese: sardão, Spanish: lagarto ocelado).
Timon lepidus is one of the largest members of its family. The adult is 30 to 60 cm (0.98 to 1.97 ft) long and may reach up to 90 cm (3.0 ft), weighing more than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb). About two-thirds of its length is tail. Newly hatched young are 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 in) long, excluding tail.
This is a robust lizard with a serrated collar. The male has a characteristic broad head. It has thick, strong legs, with long, curved claws. The dorsal background colour is usually green, but sometimes grey or brownish, especially on the head and tail. This is overlaid with black stippling that may form a bold pattern of interconnected rosettes. The underside is yellowish or greenish. The male is brighter in colour than the female and has blue spots on its flanks; there are fewer or none in the female. Young are green, grey, or brown, with yellowish or white, often black-edged, spots all over.
Timon lepidus is native to southwestern Europe. It is found throughout the Iberian peninsula (Spain, Portugal), and is patchily distributed in southern France and extreme northwestern Italy. The range for each subspecies is:
This reptile is found in various wild and cultivated habitats from sea level up to 2100 m in southern Spain. It is rare at higher altitudes. It prefers dry, bushy areas, such as open woodland and scrub, old olive groves and vineyards, and is sometimes found on more open, rocky or sandy areas. It can occasionally be seen basking on roadsides. The lizard usually stays on the ground, but climbs well on rocks and in trees. It can dig holes and sometimes uses abandoned rabbit burrows.
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Wikipedia