RAUK - Archived Forum - Portugese Lizard

Here is a snap from a trip to Portugal last year, I wondered if anyone could ID it.  The body length was about 3-5 inches (didn't ever see whole tail.) and the back a dark mottled green.  What has thrown me, and my guide books, is the bright orange throat.  The habitat is cork oak hills in the centre of the counry. sorry the photo is not great, but will try agian in a couple of months.

This is very probably Psammodromus algirus - Large Psammodromus. You can see a comparably coloured animal here => http://www.club100.net/species/P_algirus/P_algirus.html

Thanks Jeroen,

The Psammodromus also matches the two yello back stripes that I didn't mention, but are just visible in my picture. however I seem to remember that the lizard was very smooth scaled, unlike the picture in your link - this could just be my memory though - also there don't apear to be any blue flank markings on my specimin.   Could this be a regional or seasonal variation?

Thanks again,

Hi again,

Nevermind those blue spots: they are not visible in all animals (mostly in males). The rough appearance is something I think you (or at least I) rarely really pay much attention to at first when you have a brief encounter with a lizard. E.g. take a look at the third picture on the page I proposed. Even from your picture, I am rather confident on the species ID and you (or again at least I) can see even a hint of the keeled scales on the sides of the neck. Psammodromus hispanicus doesn't have (only) 2 yellow dorsolateral stripes; Acanthodactylus erythrurus (and probably also P. hispanicus) would never occur in the type of habitat visible in the picture; the combination of red throat and yellowish belly - both deductable from the picture - exclude Podarcis, Iberolacerta and Lacerta (s.s.) spp; Algyroides is not around. Or that's at least how I ended up with calling it Psammodromus algirus. Furthermore, Psammodromus algirus is very common in Portugal. A larger snapshot of some resolution may reveal further scalation features, as Wolfgang rightfully requests, but I would be very surprised if it were to be another species after all.

Thanks Jeroen and Wolfgang,

The location in Portugal is  pretty much as central as you can get (drawing a cross from all 4 corners), about 30 mins outside of Tomar.  Unfortunately I took a series of photos as I stalked closer to the Lizard, but this was the nearest I got before it scarpered.

Jo

OK got the little fella enlarged:

Had to re-size the picture so that it would fit in the window, I think i may have made him a bit stout in the process.

URL for unadulterated enlarged picture:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v300/jopedder/portlizscan2.jpg