Lacertidae
Encyclopedia
Lacertidae is the family
of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Europe
, Africa
, and Asia
. The group includes the genus Lacerta, which contains some of the most commonly seen lizard species in Europe. It is a diverse family with hundreds of species in 37 genera.
and scrub habitats. Eremias and Ophisops species replace these in the grassland and desert
habitat
s of Asia. African species usually live in rocky, arid areas. Holaspis is one of the few arboreal lacertids, and its single species, Holaspis guentheri, is a glider (although apparently a poor one), using its broad tail and flattened body as an aerofoil.
. An exception is Meroles anchietae, one of the few wall lizards that regularly eats seeds – an appropriate food for a lizard of the harsh Namib Desert
.
Lacertids are remarkably similar in form, with slender bodies and long tail
s, but have highly varied patterns and colours, even within the same species. Their scales are large on the head, which often also has osteoderm
s, small and granular on the back, and rectangular on the underside. Most species are sexually dimorphic
, with the males and females having different patterns.
At least eight species are parthenogenetic, and three species give birth to live young, including the viviparous lizard
, Zootoca vivipara.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The group includes the genus Lacerta, which contains some of the most commonly seen lizard species in Europe. It is a diverse family with hundreds of species in 37 genera.
Habitat
The European and Mediterranean species live mainly in forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
and scrub habitats. Eremias and Ophisops species replace these in the grassland and desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s of Asia. African species usually live in rocky, arid areas. Holaspis is one of the few arboreal lacertids, and its single species, Holaspis guentheri, is a glider (although apparently a poor one), using its broad tail and flattened body as an aerofoil.
Appearance and biology
Lacertids are small or medium-sized lizards. Most species are less than 9 cm long, excluding the tail, although the largest living species, Gallotia stehlini, reaches 46 cm, and some extinct forms were larger still. They are primarily insectivorousInsectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
. An exception is Meroles anchietae, one of the few wall lizards that regularly eats seeds – an appropriate food for a lizard of the harsh Namib Desert
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
.
Lacertids are remarkably similar in form, with slender bodies and long tail
Tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
s, but have highly varied patterns and colours, even within the same species. Their scales are large on the head, which often also has osteoderm
Osteoderm
Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates or other structures in the dermal layers of the skin. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles, including lizards, various groups of dinosaurs , crocodilians, phytosaurs, aetosaurs, placodonts, and hupehsuchians...
s, small and granular on the back, and rectangular on the underside. Most species are sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, with the males and females having different patterns.
At least eight species are parthenogenetic, and three species give birth to live young, including the viviparous lizard
Viviparous lizard
The viviparous lizard or common lizard is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other reptile species, and most populations are viviparous , rather than laying eggs as most other lizards do.-Identification:The length of the body is less than...
, Zootoca vivipara.
Classification
Family Lacertidae
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Gallotia The genus Gallotia are the lacertids of the Canary Islands. This genus consists of a group that has been evolving there ever since the first islands emerged from the sea over 20 million years ago... (8 species) |
Psammodromus Psammodromus is a small genus of sand lizards of the family Lacertidae. It has six described species, which are found in European and North African countries next to the Mediterranean.-Species:* Psammodromus algirus - Linnaeus, 1758... (6 species) |
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Acanthodactylus Acanthodactylus is a genus of lizards within the Lacertidae family, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered or fringe-toed lizards .... (40 species) Adolfus Adolfus is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Adolfus africanus*Adolfus alleni*Adolfus jacksoni*Adolfus vauereselli... (4 species) Algyroides Algyroides is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Algyroides alleni*Algyroides fitzingeri - Fitzinger's Algyroides*Algyroides marchi - Spanish Algyroides*Algyroides moreoticus - Greek Algyroides... (5 species) Australolacerta Australolacerta is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. It has only two described species, both of which are endemic to South Africa.-Species:* Southern Rock Lizard, Australolacerta australis - Hewitt, 1926... (2 species) Darevskia Darevskia is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Darevskia alpina*Darevskia armeniaca*Darevskia bendimahiensis*Darevskia brauneri*Darevskia caucasica*Darevskia clarkorum*Darevskia daghestanica... (22 species) Eremias Eremias is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Eremias acutirostris*Eremias afghanistanica*Eremias andersoni*Eremias argus*Eremias arguta*Eremias aria*Eremias brenchleyi*Eremias buechneri... (29 species) Gastropholis Gastropholis is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Gastropholis echinata*Gastropholis prasina*Gastropholis tropidopholis*Gastropholis vittata... Heliobolus Heliobolus is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Heliobolus lugubris*Heliobolus neumanni*Heliobolus nitida*Heliobolus spekii... Holaspis Holaspis is a genus of wall lizard in the family Lacertidae found in West Africa. They are capable of gliding flight, due to their bubbly light bone structure. They are predatory arboreal small lizards that eat small insects. They are occasionally kept as pets. Females may be slightly less... Iberolacerta Iberolacerta is a genus of lizard in the Lacertidae family. There are at least seven described species, which are mainly found in Spain and France... Ichnotropis Ichnotropis is a genus of the family Lacertidae. They are commonly called rough-scaled lizards.-Species:*Ichnotropis bivittata*Ichnotropis capensis*Ichnotropis chapini*Ichnotropis grandiceps*Ichnotropis microlepidota... |
Lacerta (genus) Lacerta is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. It is fairly diverse containing around 40 species.-Classification:Genus Lacerta*Sand lizard *Anatolian Rock Lizard... (40 species) Latastia Latastia is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Latastia boscai*Latastia carinata*Latastia cherchii*Latastia doriai*Latastia johnstonii*Latastia lanzai*Latastia longicaudata... (10 species) Meroles Meroles is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Meroles anchietae*Meroles ctenodactylus*Meroles cuneirostris*Meroles knoxii*Meroles micropholidotus*Meroles reticulatus*Meroles suborbitalis... (7 species) Mesalina Mesalina is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. It has fourteen described species.-Species:*Mesalina adramitana - *Mesalina ayunensis - Arnold, 1980*Mesalina bahaeldini - Segoli Cohen & Werner, 2002... (13 species) Nucras Nucras is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Nucras boulengeri*Nucras caesicaudata*Nucras intertexta*Nucras lalandii*Nucras livida*Nucras scalaris*Nucras taeniolata*Nucras tessellata... (8 species) Ophisops Ophisops is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. Small lacertids characterized by transparent lower eyelids that are completely or partially fused with the upper lids to form a cap over the eye.... (8 species) Pedioplanis Pedioplanis is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Pedioplanis benguelensis*Pedioplanis breviceps*Pedioplanis burchelli*Pedioplanis gaerdesi*Pedioplanis husabensis*Pedioplanis laticeps... (10 species) Philochortus Philochortus is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Philochortus hardeggeri*Philochortus intermedius*Philochortus lhotei*Philochortus neumanni*Philochortus phillipsi*Philochortus spinalis... Podarcis Podarcis is a genus of lizards. Its members look very similar to lizards of the genus Lacerta, but their internal body structure is different . They are commonly known as wall lizards. They are native to Europe and northern Africa, and most species are restricted to the Mediterranean region... Poromera Poromera is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.... Pseuderemias Pseuderemias is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Pseuderemias brenneri*Pseuderemias erythrosticta*Pseuderemias mucronata*Pseuderemias savagei*Pseuderemias septemstriata*Pseuderemias smithii... Takydromus Takydromus, commonly called grass lizards or oriental racers is a lizard genus whose members inhabit a large part of Asia. Members of this genus are noticeable because of their slender appearance and their agile movements.-Description:... Tropidosaura Tropidosaura is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.-Species:*Tropidosaura cottrelli*Tropidosaura essexi*Tropidosaura gularis*Tropidosaura montana... |
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