Common Wall Lizard

The common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, also called the European wall lizard, is a small slender lizard of the family Lacertidae, first described in 1768, native to mainland Europe outside its extreme north and south and extending into Turkey, with introduced populations in southern Britain and North America, including Ohio and British Columbia. It measures about 20 centimeters in total length, with variable brownish or greyish, sometimes greenish, coloration in spotted or reticulated patterns, and a distinctive underside of six rows of larger reddish, pink or orange rectangular scales; six throat-and-belly color morphs have been described. It favors rocky habitats, including urban settings with rubble, debris and buildings, with humid habitat preferences in the south of its range and drier habitat in the north.