Aeolian wall lizard

Aeolian wall lizard
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Podarcis
Species:
P. raffonei
Binomial name
Podarcis raffonei
(Mertens, 1952)
Synonyms[2]

The Aeolian wall lizard (Podarcis raffonei), also known commonly as Raffone's wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Italy.

Etymology

The specific name, raffonei or raffoneae, is in honor of Dr. Antonia Raffone, wife of Dr. Antonino Trischitta. Dr. Trischitta was the collector of the holotype.[3]

Habitat

The natural habitats of P. raffonei are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky shores.[4]

Geographic range

There are only four locations hosting P. raffonei, all of them in the Aeolian Islands: the island of Strombolicchio, a small islet off the coast of the nearby island of Salina, another off the coast of the island of Filicudi, and some areas of Vulcano.[4]

Conservation status

The overall population of P. raffonei is around one thousand specimens distributed on a surface not bigger than 20,000 m2 (.008 mi2). It is believed that once this rare lizard inhabited a larger area, but the competition with the very common Italian wall lizard, introduced by man, reduced its distribution to a smaller area.[4]

References

  1. ^ Claudia Corti, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Roberto Sindaco, Antonio Romano (2009). "Podarcis raffonei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61552A12514822. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61552A12514822.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Species Podarcis raffonei at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Podarcis raffoneae, p. 215).
  4. ^ a b c Corti C, Pérez-Mellado V, Sindaco R, Romano A (2009). "Podarcis raffonei ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61552A12514822. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61552A12514822.en.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Further reading

  • Mertens R (1952) "Neue Eidechsenrassen von den Liparischen Inseln ". Senckenbergiana 32 (5/6): 309-314 + Plates 1–2. (Lacerta sicula raffonei, new subspecies, pp. 313–314 + Plate 2, figure 3). (in German).



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