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Aeolian wall lizard facts for kids

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Aeolian wall lizard
Podarcis raffonei cucchiarai 2.JPG
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Podarcis
Species:
raffonei
Synonyms
  • Lacerta sicula raffonei
    Mertens, 1952
  • Podarcis wagleriana raffonei
    — Capula, 1987
  • Podarcis raffonei
    — Corti & Lo Cascio, 2002
  • Podarcis raffoneae
    — Michels & Bauer, 2005
  • Podarcis raffonei
    — Speybroeck & Crochet, 2007

The Aeolian wall lizard (Podarcis raffonei), also known commonly as Raffone's wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Italy.

Etymology

The specific name, raffonei or raffoneae, is in honor of Dr. Antonia Raffone, wife of Dr. Antonino Trischitta. Dr. Trischitta was the collector of the holotype.

Habitat

The natural habitats of P. raffonei are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky shores.

Geographic range

There are only four locations hosting P. raffonei, all of them in the Aeolian Islands: the island of Strombolicchio, a small islet off the coast of the nearby island of Salina, another off the coast of the island of Filicudi, and some areas of Vulcano.

Conservation status

The overall population of P. raffonei is around one thousand specimens distributed on a surface not bigger than 20,000 m2 (.008 mi2). It is believed that once this rare lizard inhabited a larger area, but the competition with the very common Italian wall lizard, introduced by man, reduced its distribution to a smaller area.

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