Sharp-snouted rock lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sharp-snouted rock lizard |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dalmatolacerta
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| Species: |
oxycephala
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| Synonyms | |
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Lacerta oxycephala |
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The sharp-snouted rock lizard (Dalmatolacerta oxycephala) is a cool type of lizard that lives in rocky places. It belongs to the Lacertidae family, which includes many different lizards. You can find this lizard in countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and maybe even Albania. It loves to live in places with lots of rocks, like cliffs, rocky beaches, gardens, and even in cities!
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What Does It Look Like?
The sharp-snouted rock lizard is thin and flat, with a pointy nose and eyes that stick out a bit. An adult lizard's body, from its nose to the base of its tail, can be up to about 6.5 centimeters (2.6 inches) long. Its tail is super long, usually one and a half to two times longer than its body!
Its back toes are bent and shorter than those of other lizards in its group. A special thing about this lizard is the wide scales right in the middle, underneath its tail.
Colors and Patterns
These lizards come in two main color types. In low areas, their bodies are grayish-brown with a brown net-like pattern. Their tails have bold black and turquoise-green stripes. In higher, mountain areas and on some islands, they are much darker, sometimes even completely black. Lizards living in between these altitudes can have mixed colors.
No matter the color, their bellies are blue. Males often have a brighter blue color. Some lizards can even change their color during the year, becoming darker when the weather is colder. Young lizards look like the lighter-colored adults but have even brighter tail stripes.
Where Do They Live?
The sharp-snouted rock lizard is found only in the area that used to be Yugoslavia, and possibly in parts of Albania too. This means it's endemic to that region, which means it naturally lives only there.
They love rocky spots like cliffs, big rocks, stone walls, and piles of stones. You might even see them on buildings or tree trunks! They can live at heights of up to 1,500 meters (about 4,900 feet) above sea level.
Amazing Climbers
These lizards are fantastic climbers! You can often spot them high up on walls and roofs, sometimes 20 or 30 meters (67 to 100 feet) high. The lighter-colored lizards blend in well with the light-colored limestone rocks common in this area. The darker lizards also hide well because the cliffs have deep cracks and dark moss growing in them.
How Do They Behave?
The sharp-snouted rock lizard is a tough animal. It can handle very cold weather and sometimes even appears when there's snow on the ground! In the summer, it enjoys basking in the sun to warm up.
What Do They Eat?
These lizards eat small bugs and other tiny creatures without backbones. This includes flying insects, which they catch when the insects land on the rocks.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Female sharp-snouted rock lizards lay clutches of two to four white, sausage-shaped eggs. These eggs hatch in about six to seven weeks. When the baby lizards hatch, they are tiny, with a body length of about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches).
What Is Their Status?
The sharp-snouted rock lizard lives in a wide area and is common in places where it likes to live. Scientists believe there are many of these lizards in total. They can adapt to different environments, and no big threats have been found that would harm them. Because of this, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says their status is "least concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
