The Skyros wall lizard (Podarcis gaigeae ) is a species of lizards in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the islands of Skyros and Piperi, Greece.
The specific name, gaigeae, is in honor of American herpetologist Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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starts withThe Skyros wall lizard reaches a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 8.5 cm (3.3 in). It has a deep head and a tail approximately twice the length of the body. The colouring is rather variable, usually being green, olive-green, or brownish, with a dark vertebral band and dorso-lateral stripes. The mottled flanks often have a single blue spot above the shoulder. The underparts are white, often with dark spots on the throat, the lizards on each island having characteristic markings.
The Skyros wall lizard occurs only on Skyros and on Piperi Island in the Sporades archipelago in the northern Aegean Sea. It is the only small lizard occurring on these islands.
The natural habitats of Podarcis gaigeae are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, and rocky shores.
The Skyros wall lizard has a total area of occupancy of less than 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) but is common within that range. Although the population trend is unknown, no specific threats are apparent apart from the risks posed by wildfire. However the introduction onto its island home of some predatory species could threaten its survival so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "vulnerable".
