Head to head
Italian Wall Lizard vs Common Wall Lizard
Italian Wall Lizard
VS Common Wall Lizard
The Italian wall lizard and common wall lizard are two closely related Podarcis lizards of southern European walls and rocks that have both been carried to new places by people.
| Italian Wall Lizard | Common Wall Lizard | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Podarcis siculus | Podarcis muralis |
| Relationship | A close relative of the common wall lizard, in the same genus | A close relative of the Italian wall lizard, in the same genus |
| Appearance | A green to brown body with darker stripes or spots, often about 20 cm long including the tail | A noticeably flattened body and head, typically brown with dark mottling, and males are often washed with green |
| Diet | Insects, spiders, and snails, along with fruit, flowers, and other plant material | Insects, spiders, woodlice, small snails, and other invertebrates, with the occasional soft fruit |
| Habitat | Walls, gardens, vineyards, dunes, and rocky ground | Rocky and stony places, dry-stone walls, vineyards, railway embankments, and ruins |
| Native range | Italy, Sicily, and the Balkan coast of the Adriatic | Central and southern Europe, from northern Spain and France through Italy and the Balkans |
| Introductions | Introduced to Spain, Turkey, and the United States, and a population moved to an Adriatic island evolved a plant-digesting gut within about 36 years | Established in Britain and Germany, and in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it descends from lizards released after a family holiday to Italy around 1951 |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Italian Wall Lizard vs Common Wall Lizard: common questions
Which wall lizard evolved quickly?
The Italian wall lizard, whose population moved to an Adriatic island in 1971 evolved a plant-digesting gut within about 36 years.
How did wall lizards reach Ohio?
The common wall lizard population in Cincinnati descends from lizards a boy released after a family holiday to Italy around 1951.
Can both shed their tails?
Yes, both can shed their tails to escape a predator's grip and then regrow them.