Psammodromus hispanicus
Psammodromus hispanicus, the Spanish psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae.
It is found in France, Portugal, and Spain.
Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
History and origin
The Spanish psammodromus was first described by Fitzinger in 1826, the scientific name of this species is Psammodromus hispanicus. Psammodromus from Greek meaning 'sand' and 'to run'. hispanicus from Latin meaning 'from Spain'.Characteristics
They are one of the smallest lizards of France, characterised by their unique patterns.Description
Size
The eggs measure 9 x 6 to 13 x 8 mm. The young hatch out at around 20 to 25 mm long. They can grow up to around 50 mm long, their tail being about 1.5 the body size giving them a total adult size of around 120 to 130 mm long.Form
They are slender and long-bodied. They have a small pointed head, normal to large hind limbs and a very long, slender tail, they have keeled, overlapping scales and like its cousin the large psammodromus, they have a rough appearance.Patterns and colours
They are often dark brown, olive-brown or dark red, rusty colour with many lighter irregular blotches, streaks and small lines especially in the middle of the sides and on the top of flanks. But also along the top of the back where they usually have many small streaks of white bordered by a darker colour. Their belly is yellowish.Geographical range
They are found over most of the Iberian Peninsula excluding the north coast and the Pyrenees. In France they can only be found along the Mediterranean coast.Subspecies
edwarsianus - Found in Francehispanicus - Iberian peninsula