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The Madeira wall lizard, Teira dugesii selvagensis, is a partially herbivorous species that also predates Cory shearwater chicks, having an impact of 5% on the reproductive success of this seabird at the island of Selvagem Grande. This study aims to characterize and compare the population structure of Madeira wall lizards, as well as its role in the trophic web of various areas of Selvagem Grande. These areas were designated according to the type of relief, size of seabird colonies and vegetation cover, in two different Cory shearwater nesting seasons (egg incubation and offspring feeding period). The abundance of lizards in different areas and in both seasons was estimated using capture-mark-recapture. Lizard droppings were also collected, to identify contents. Samples of species belonging to the Selvagem Grande trophic chain were collected for isotopic analysis. Isotopic results were analyzed using SIAR and SIBER packages. Both the highest abundance of lizards and the highest vegetation cover were found in areas with small seabirds colonies. In spite of that, the proportion of lizard immatures was higher on the South/Southwest facing cliffs, where the largest seabird colonies are located. Herbivory increases with lizard size, and there was a high percentage of vegetable contents (about 65%) in the droppings. The isotopic basis of the trophic chain varied significantly among areas and is probably influenced by island topography and seabird inputs. Comparing signatures between geckos and lizards of the island, allowed the characterization of niches occupied by each species, being the differences justified by their diets. In areas with larger seabird colonies, seabirds or nutrient inputs brought by them were extremely important for the diet of T.d. selvagensis. The lizards with smaller differences in their isotopic niche between seasons were found in the areas with most seabirds, while the highest isotopic niche differences occured where resources were fewer. Isotopic results validate the dropping analysis, indicating consumption of seabirds during the bird offspring feeding period. Results obtained in this study suggest that the pressure of lizards on seabirds colonies is variable along the island. In contrast to what was expected, in areas with more vegetation there was a reduced impact on seabirds, despite higher abundances of lizards. Lizard monitorization should be continued to assess population trends as vegetation recovers after the eradication of rabbit and domestic mouse.

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Icosahedral nucleo-cytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV)-like viruses, which form inclusions in the erythrocyte cytoplasm of reptiles, were previously presented as candidates for a new genus of the Iridoviridae family. The present work describes the distribution of infected lizard hosts and ultrastructural characteristics of the viral inclusions of NCLDV-like viruses from Portugal and adjacent locations in Spain. Giemsa-stained blood smears of 235 Lacerta schreiberi from Portugal and Spain, 571 Lacerta monticola from the mountain Serra da Estrela (Portugal), 794 Podarcis hispanica from several localities in Portugal and Spain, and 25 Lacerta dugesii from Madeira Island, were studied. Infection in L. schreiberi was only found in mountain populations, up to 30% in Serra da Estrela and 9–11% elsewhere. It was absent in lizards from lowlands. Prevalence of infection among L. monticola in Serra da Estrela was 10%; infected lizards were found during March to July and October but not in August and September. Infection in P. hispanica was below 3.3%. Only one infected specimen of L. dugesii was identified by light microscopy. Ultrastructural examination of infected samples revealed that the inclusions are virus assembly sites of icosahedral cytoplasmic iridovirus-like virions. Virions from different host species have different ultrastructural features and probably represent different related viruses.

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The last catalogue of the Reptile collection of the Museu Bocage dates back to 1972. The collections were lost in a fire 25 years ago, so it was necessary to analyse the effort of various donors, who offered the Museum a new collection. The evaluation of the sampling effort is important to gather information (on quantity and origin) and the various samples of the species of lacertid lizards present in the Museum and enables an operational and practical visual imaged of that information. The obtained results prove that the study of the sampling effort using ordinary kriging method is robust and accurate on identifying gaps (under or no sampled areas) and a helpful tool to fulfil them. Although beginning to the representative of the Portuguese fauna, the lacertid collection of the Museu Bocage needs major improvements given that it still does not illustrate the actual distribution of lacertid lizards in Portugal. In order to stand for modern standards, when complementing the existing collection we must take into account not only the information provided by the analysis but also conservationist concerns (not killing animals) and the establishment of co-partnerships with congener institutions as well. Nowadays Museums have the duty, more than ever, to keep their collections well housed, cared for and accessible to the scientific community.

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Algyroides fitzingeri, Algyroides marchi, Algyroides moreoticus, Algyroides nigropunctatus, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta lepida, Lacerta princeps, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta trilineata, Lacerta viridis, Lacerta andreanszkyi, Lacerta armeniaca, Lacerta bedriagae, Lacerta brandtii, Lacerta cappadocica, Lacerta caucasica, Lacerta chlorogaster, Lacerta cyanura, Lacerta danfordi, Lacerta derjugini, Lacerta dugesii, Lacerta fraasii, Lacerta graeca, Lacerta horvathi, Lacerta jayakari, Lacerta laevis, Lacerta monticola, Lacerta mosorensis, Lacerta oxycephala, Lacerta parva, Lacerta perspicillata, Lacerta praticola, Lacerta rudis, Lacerta saxicola, Lacerta vivipara, Gallotia atlantica, Gallotia galloti, Gallotia simonyi, Podarcis erhardii, Podarcis filfolensis, Podarcis hispanica, Podarcis lilfordi, Podarcis melisellensis, Podarcis milensis, Podarcis muralis, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, Podarcis pityusensis, Podarcis sicula, Podarcis taurica, Podarcis tiliguerta, Podarcis wagleriana, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus blanci, Psammodromus hispanicus, Psammodromus microdactylus.

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Relationships of lacertid lizards were assessed on the basis of 84 primary and 112 binary characters drawn mainly from morphology, including features of the skeleton, external anatomy, various internal soft part systems and two aspects of behaviour. Among features not previously used, or not fully investigated before, are structure of the septomaxilla and nasal passages, arranged of the xiphisternal cartilages, mite pockets, kidney position, ulnar nerve arragement, thoracic fascia, aspects of the hemipenis and its associated muscles, female genitalia and jaw muscles. On the basis of parsimony analysis and compatibilty treatment of this character set, the Lacertidae fall into two main portions: A paraphyletic Palaearctic and Oriental group of primitive forms, from which is derived a holophyletic assemblage of Ethiopian and advanced Saharan and Eurasian taxa. The former group ist not fully resolvable, but Psammodromus and Gallotia appear to be sister groups and are probably related to Lacerta parva and L. fraasi and then L. brandtii, Podarcis appears to be related successively to L. andreanszkyi, the sister species L. dugesii and L. perspicillata, and perhaps L. danfordi and L. laevis. This assemblage may be related to archaeolacertas and Algyroides. The separation of Lacerta lepida, L. pater and L. princeps from the agilis group, based on chemical evidence, is weakly contradicted by morphology. Takydromus may be most closely related to L. vivipara, and L. jayakari and L. cyanura constitute the most likely sister group of the Ethiopian and advanced Saharo-Eurasian assemblage. Taxe in the Ethiopian and advanced SaharoEuroasian assemblage form a long essentially pectinate tree with relatively change between the side branches, except for a strong disjunction separating the more primitive from the more advanced taxa. Most of the former fall on two main branches, with ´Lacerta` australis and ´L.` rupicola possibly basal to them. 1. the Equatorial forest group containing Gastropholis, Bedriagaia, ´Lacerta` echinata, Adolfus, ´Lacerta` jacksoni and Holaspis. The first three of these constitute a holophyletic group and the same is probably true of the remainder. 2. Tropidosaura, Poromera and Nucras, the latter being the sister group of the more advanced forms. These include successively the Ethiopian Philochortus, Latastia, Ichnotropis and Heliobolus, Pseuderemias, Meroles and Aporosaura, and Pedioplanis, and then the Saharo-Eurasian Eremias, Acanthodactylus, Mesalina and Ophisops-Cabrita. It seems probable that the ancestors of modern Lacertidae arose in western Eurasia, where the family is known since the Palaeocene and is still represented there largely by quite primitive forms (89 species and seven nominal genera). The family later invaded Africa, perhaps first in the early or middle Miocene. Relatively primitive lacertids spread widely in largely mesic situations in the Ethiopian region, radiating to some extent (six present genera and 16 species) and producing Nucras and the related series of advaned groups (eight genera and 54 species) whoich show increasing adaptation to xeric environments. These genera tend to have heir most primitive species in the northeast and north of the Ethiopian region. The most advaned gave rise to the Saharo-Eurasian clade, now made up to Eremias, Acanthodactylus, Mesalina and Ophisops-Cabrita. This invaded the arid areas of North Africa and Eurasia, where it is presently represented by 70 species. Many morphological changes in increasingly advanced lacertids may be functionally related to the problems of survival in arid, hot, open environments. Considerable ecological parallelism exists in lacertids, with members of separate stocks occupying similar niches in different geographical areas. Morphological adaptations associated with these niches contribute significantly to the high levels of character homoplasy found in the family. There is also some correlation between the degree of niche differentiation in various groups and the quality of the phylogenies that can be produced from their physical characters. A number of morphological parallels exist between advaned lacertids and New World macroteiids. In the skull at least, advaned lacertids show a complex mixture of paedomorphosis and acceleration. Nomenclatorial changes are as follows: Cabrita is synonymised with Ophisops, necessitating a new name, Ophisops nictans, for Cabrita jerdonii. Aporosaura is synonymised with Meroles, Platyplacopus with Takydromus, and Bedriagaia with Gastropholis. ´Lacerta` (or Centromastyx) echinata is also transferred to the latter genus and Lacerta jacksoni to Adolfus. ´Lacerta` australis and ´L.` rupicola are put in a new genus, Australolacerta. It is recommended that Lacerta dugesii and L. perspicillata should not be placed in the otherwise very uniform genus Podarcis. Although clearly paraphyletic, Lacerta s. lat. Should be retained at least for the present and, if necessary putative relationships within it indicated by informal groups or subgenera.

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Estimates of phylogeny may allow historical events to be reconstructed even without a fossil record. The reliability of such interpretations depends not only on the robustness of the phylogeny but also on its topology. Changes in individual features can be traced and general histories of groups developed and compared with each other. Results are ofter surprising, for Instance the sophisticated tail shedding mechanism of lizards turns out to be a primitive feature that has been lost many times. Similarly, ecological analogues may have developed their common characaters in quite different orders. Phylogenies also provide a way of recognizing constraints and the effects of history on present ecological and behavioural patterns. When using anatomical characters the quality of the apparent phylogenies produced may be related to ecological history: expansion of a group along an ecological continuum into increasingly demanding niches ina small geographical area tends to produce a robust phylogeny (for instance in Meroles), while this is often not so for widely distributed groups that occupy a more modest range of niches (such as Pedioplanis and Podarcis). Non-morphological data may not show this tendency, but can have their own problems. Lacertids can be referred to clade with many successive branches in Africa and the Saharo-Eurasian arid zones and a less resolved probably paraphyletic complex of more primitive forms in the Mediterranean and wider Palaearctic areas. The African-Eurasian clade shows a general trend towards ground-dwelling and increasingly arid habitats but is ecologically variied. These animals are important to the study of Mediterranean forms because they provide eco-morphological parallels to them (for instance to Algyroides, Psammodromus and the archaeolacertas) and help form a basis for testing hypotheses about function. Although it is possible to recognise a number of distinct clades among the Mediterranean and Eurasian forms, relationships within and between these are often much less well substantiated. If results are available in time, current work on mitochondrial DNA sequencing will be discussed.

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Differences in surface structure (ober- hautchen) of body scales of lacertid lizards involve cell size, shape and surface profile, presence or absence of fine pitting, form of cell margins, and the occurrence of longitudinal ridges and pustular projections. Phylogenetic information indicates that the primitive pattern involved narrow strap-shaped cells, with low posteriorly overlapping edges and relatively smooth surfaces. Deviations from this condition produce a more sculptured surface and have developed many times, although subsequent overt reversals are uncommon. Like variations in scale shape, different patterns of dorsal body microornamentation appear to confer different and conflicting performance advantages. The primitive pattern may reduce friction during locomotion and also enhances dirt shedding, especially in ground-dwelling forms from moist habitats. However, this smooth microornamentation generates shine that may compromise cryptic coloration, especially when scales are large. Many derived features show correlation with such large scales and appear to suppress shine. They occur most frequently in forms from dry habitats or forms that climb in vegetation away from the ground, situations where dirt adhesion is less of a problem. Microornamentation differences involving other parts of the body and other squamate groups tend to corroborate this functional interpretation. Microornamentation features can develop on lineages in different orders and appear to act additively in reducing shine. In some cases different combinations may be optimal solutions in particular environments, but lineage effects, such as limited reversibility and different developmental proclivities, may also be important in their genesis. The fine pits often found on cell surfaces are unconnected with shine reduction, as they are smaller than the wavelengths of most visible light.

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Archaeolacerta s. l., in the currently utilized sense results to be a polyphyletic taxon, composed of three monophyletic and phylogenetically well differentiated taxa: a)-Archaeolacerta (s. str.) Mertens, 1921, which includes three species: A. bedriagae, A. oxycephala, and A. mosorensis, distributed by the northern part of the Central Mediterranean (Corsica, Sardinia, and west Balcanic Peninsula). His most related genera seem to be Teira (his adelphotaxon in our study), Apathya, and Omanosaura. b)-Iberolacerta gen. nov., with two subgenera: Iberolacerta s. str. and Pyrenesaura subgen. nov. includes six species: I. monticola, I. cyreni, I. bonnali, I. aranica, I. aurelioi, and I. horvathi. They are distributed by the mountains of Western Europe (Iberian Peninsula, Pyrenees, Central and Eastern Alps and the north of the Dinaric Chains). His adelphotaxon are the Caucasian and Near East species of Darevskia gen. nov. c)-The third taxa is Darevskia gen. nov., which includes the species of the `L.` saxicola complex besides `L.` derjugini, `L.` praticola, and `L.` chlorogaster. They are distributed by Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Near East. Other clear relationships among some taxa of the Eurasian Radiation [= `Eurasische linie` from (Mayer and Benyr, 1994)] have been found: Algyroides seems to be the sister group of the species considered of uncertain phylogenetic relationships belonging to the `L.` danfordi-laevis group and of Podarcis. `L.` brandtii seems to be a very primitive species within the Eurasian Radiation. Omanosaura and Apathya appear as sister taxa. `L.` graeca occupies a very basal position in the sister group of Podarcis and relatives (see above). `L.` andreanskyi is the sister species of the Darevskia nov. and Iberolacerta nov. clade. The assimilation of `L.` andreanskyi to Teira is very problematic. Also the `L.` parva group seems to be related to Timon. Some groups of species like `L.` brandtii, `L.` parva-fraasii and `L.` danfordi-laevis probably merit generic rank, but it is necessary a more deep study before to take a decision.

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The microornamentation of the scales (oberhautchen) has been studied by means of enamel casts (in negative), or with detached skin pieces (positive cast in the upper face or negative in their lower face of the scales) and its observation by transparency with optical microscopy at 40x, 400x and 1000x. In this study we have found a remarkable uniformity in all genera of Lacertini studied (already known, although significantly expanding the number of species previously studied). In light of the results obtained, it seems that the use of the microornamentation of the scales in taxonomy is limited. There is a remarkable degree of variation and probably of homoplasy, as it happens in so many characters of Lacertini. Nor is it clearly linked to certain conditions of the environment, although it may have a certain importance in mechanisms such as evapotranspiration and perhaps in the crypsis through its influence on the reflectance of the scales. These scales can present protuberances (like small tubercles) on their surface (derived character) in Algyroides (the four species), and in the case of Algyroides marchi also seems to present small pits on its scale surface. In most lacertids the cells of the “oberhautchen” are usually narrow (or short anteroposteriorly, if preferred), between 1 and 4 μm, having the appearance of ribbons or transverse straps. Smaller sizes (derivated) appear more or less marked in Algyroides spp, Darevskia praticola complex, Parvilacerta spp and in Dinarolacerta mosorensis (although not in D. montenegrina) and is difficult to interpret. Except in Dinarolacerta, in the other species it coincides that they are ground or ground-rock interface species, and the coarser stripes could have to do with reflectance (imitating the vegetation or the medium between which they move, according to the hypothesis of Allam et al.). In the case of Dinarolacerta, very saxicolous, it is probably the sister group of Algyroides and the common morphology could have a phylogenetic origin linked to its relationship with Algyroides. There is also no relationship with moisture since some come from dry places and others are from very wet areas. The posterior flange of the cells may be slightly mounted in the next cell (primitive character) but appears quite raised (derived character) in Algyroides nigropunctatus (much less in A. moreoticus and A. marchi, and apparently little or nothing in A. fitzingeri). The rear flange of the cells can be smooth, corrugated or notched. In our samples, irregular (and even dentate) posterior ridges appear in numerous Darevskia such as D. derjugini, D. parvula, D. raddei complex [D. raddei raddei, D. r. vanensis and D. nairensis], in part of the group of D. rudis [D. rudis sspp. and D. bithynica sspp.], several Iberolacerta (I. bonnali, I. horvathi and I. monticola astur), as well as in Teira dugesii. The character appears, although less marked in Algyroides (more in A. moreoticus, but less marked or barely visible in the others), in Hellenolacerta graeca, and other Iberolacerta (I. aurelioi, I. martinezricai, and scarcely marked in I. cyreni). Very little marked in Darevskia mixta, somewhat more in D. dryada and none in D. clarkorum, and also appears in the group of D. saxicola (D. saxicola, D. brauneri brauneri, D. b. darevskii, D. lindholdmi, D. szczerbaki), Dalmatolacerta oxycephala, Dinarolacerta mosorensis (only in the Biokovo sample, and not in Durmitor or D. montenegrina), Apathya cappadocica, in some places of the scales of Parvilacerta fraasii (but not in P. parva) and very little in D. (p) hungarica; also in the remaining group of D. rudis (D. valentini valentini, D. v. lantzicyreni, D. rudis bolkardaghica, D. portschinskii), and some parthenogenetic species (D. armeniaca, D. dahli, D. rostombekowi) but not in D. unisexualis, D. uzzelli, D. sapphirina, D. bendimahiensis or in the triploid hybrid between D. unisexualis and D. nairensis. In these parthenogenetic species it seems a general rule that the character of the crenulation or irregularity of the posterior flange of the cells resembles that of the paternal rather than the maternal species. The exception is the triploid hybrid [arisen from the hybridization of D. unisexualis (parthenogenetic female, without the character) and a male of D. nairensis (with fairly developed character)] that lacks character, and in this case is more similar to the maternal species of which has two genetic sets compared to only one of the paternal one.

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Podarcis dugesii is a polymorphic species found on the ecologically-heterogeneous Atlantic island of Madeira. Patterns of geographic variation in size-free body dimensions (body shape), scalation, and size were portrayed on maps with isophene contours. There was no dominant pattern of among-site variation as seen in several other island lizards, although some linear combinations of morphological variables showed evidence of clines towards the east coast. Multivariate statistical techniques were developed to evaluate whether morphological variation contained an ecology-related spatial pattern, after removal of the effects of statistical non-independence of studied populations. Specifically, a partial correlation matrix comparison method provided evidence to support a proposed elevation model of among-site divergence in scalation and body size, with both an alternative rainfall model and spatial non-independence held constant. Similar divergence in scalation has been observed in other lizard species on other island archipelagos as well on some continental areas. The rainfall model was rejected for both body shape and scalation. The degree of within-population polymorphism in body shape and scalation showed no clear geographic trends in general, although the elevation and rainfall models could not be rejected for female scalation.

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The longevity of several lacertid lizard species in captivity is reported. The conditions of keeping, which have been successful throughout many years, are briefly presented.

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The lizard species Gallotia atlantica, G. caesaris, G. galloti eisentrauti, and G. stehlini from the Canary Islands and Teira dugesii from Madeira were kept and bred in captivity. Since ecological data concerning the breeding biology of these species are rare, the results of several years of captive breeding are presented. Data were collected from six pairs of G. atlantica during five years. The females laid 1-3 clutches of eggs each year between April and the beginning of September. The first egg clutches of a year contained 2.7 (1-5) eggs and the second egg clutches consisted of 2.5 (1-4) eggs. Third egg clutches were rare and consisted of only 1.7 (1-2) eggs. The baby lizards hatched after 73 (64-87) days. Three pairs of G. caesaris were observed during three years. Between the middle of May and the end of July the females of this species laid one clutch per year containing 3.8 (3-5) eggs. Only one female produced a second clutch during one season. The young hatched after 67 (64- 69) days. Eight pairs of G. g. eisentrauti were observed during seven years. Between the beginning of May and the end of August these females oviposited annually 1-2 clutches, which contained 4.7 (2-9) eggs in the first clutch of a year and 3.4 (2-6) eggs in the second annual clutch. The young hatched after 73 (62-89) days. One pair of G. stehlini was observed over a period of six years. Between June and August this female produced annually one clutch containing 9.8 (5-14) eggs. The young hatched after 80 (75-86) days. Two pairs of Teira dugesii were observed during one year and two pairs during four years. Between the end of April and the middle of August the females produced 1-2 clutches per year with 2.6 (2-3) eggs in the first and 2.1 (1-3) eggs in the second clutch of a year. The incubation period of the eggs was 72 (59-93) days. Furthermore, sizes of hatchlings of all species are presented. Colour patterns of hatchlings of G. g. eisentrauti, G. caesaris, and G. atlantica are described. Observations concerning the raising of the young in captivity are reported.

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New informations concerning systematical questions within the family Lacertidae, which were published during the last year, are presented.

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Das kleine »Galapagos vor der europäischen Haustür« ist Gegenstand dieses in sich geschlossenen Bandes. Er gibt erstmalig einen Überblick über die Herpetofauna dieser Inselgruppen.

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In this study 175 specimens of Podarcis dugesii from the islands Madeira, Deserta Grande, Bugio, Porto Santo, Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena were examined. Morphological data from lizards of these six islands were subjected to a Variance- and Discriminant-analysis and compared to results from an Enzyme-Electrophoresis. Podarcis dugesii mauli is placed as a synonym of the nominate subspecies. In contrast, two new subspecies are described: Podarcis dugesii jogeri ssp.n. for the population from Porto Santo and Podarcis dugesii selvagensis ssp.n. from the Selvagens islands.

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In the herpetological collection of ZFMK 528 scientific species group names are represented by type materi- al. Of these, 304 names are documented by primary type specimens (onomatophores) while for 224 further names sec- ondary type specimens (typoids) are available, ranging chronologically from 1801 to 2010. The list is a shortened pred- ecessor of a comprehensive type catalogue in progress. It lists name bearing types with their catalogue numbers includ- ing information on further type series members also in other institutions, while secondary types are listed only by pres- ence, both in ZFMK and other collections including holotype repositories. Geographic origin and currently valid names are also provided.

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Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy 3Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France 4Kosmos – Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy 5Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy 6I.P.L.A., Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l`Ambiente, Torino, Italy Correspondence Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20126 Milano, Italy. Email: francesco.ficetola@gmail.com Funding information Italian Ministry for Research, Grant/Award Number: 2017KLZ3MA Editor: Ana Margarida Coelho dos Santos Abstract Aim: Analyses of biogeographical patterns and macroecology of islands require large datasets reporting the occurrence of species. The Mediterranean region is a biodiver- sity hotspot, which hosts a large number of reptile species and has been the focus of many studies. Nevertheless, comprehensive inventories describing the features and biodiversity of these environments are lacking. We gathered a dataset summarizing data on reptile distribution on islands of the Mediterranean basin and Macaronesia, also including detailed information on the geographical features. Location: Islands from the Mediterranean Basin, the Atlantic Ocean within the Mediterranean biogeographical region, and Macaronesia (Canary and Savage Islands, Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde). Time period: Present. Taxon: Reptiles (squamates and turtles). Methods: Initially, we developed a geographical database describing islands of the study region, then gathered information on reptile occurrences from 757 bibliograph- ical sources, including atlases, published papers and the grey literature. Through a critical review of these sources, we also obtained information on the status of popula- tions (native, island endemic or non-native) and on the reliability of occurrence data. Results: We obtained basic geographical information from 1875 islands covering the whole study region and with a very broad range of geographical features. We gath- ered >4150 records of reptile occurrence on islands, referring to 198 taxonomic units (species or species complexes); information on population status was available for 84.9% of records. Data are provided as comma-delimited text files. Main conclusions: The database provides a key resource for biogeographical analyses and can also serve as a backbone for conservation studies. The availability of a large database on island features can also be useful for biogeographers working on other taxonomic groups. Nevertheless, more data are required for some geographical areas, in order to ascertain the status (e.g., native vs. non-native) of many populations and to understand the interplay between natural and human-driven processes.

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In the madeiran lizard, Podarcis dugesii (Milne-Edwards, 1829) adult animals force juveniles to use pessimal habitats with few escape sites. Consequently, juvenile individuals in populations with a high density show the highest rate of tail breaks.

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We sequenced the complete control region (CR) and adjacent tRNAs, partial 12S rRNA, and cytochrome b (over 3100 bp) from eight individuals of Madeiran wall lizards, Lacerta dugesii, from four distinct island populations. The tRNAs exhibit a high degree of intraspecific polymorphisms compared to other vertebrates. All CR sequences include a minisatellite that varies in length between populations but is apparently fixed within them. Variation in minisatellite length appears between populations separated by apparently very short evolutionary time spans. Many motifs identified in the CR of other vertebrates are not highly conserved, although conserved blocks are identifiable between the few published reptile CR sequences. Overall there are extensive differences in the internal organization of the reptile CR compared to the more widely studied mammals and birds. Variability in the CR is lower than in cytochrome b, but higher than in 12S rRNA. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences produces a well-resolved estimate of relationships between populations.

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Partial sequences from two mitochondrial DNA genes, cytochrome b and 12S rRNA, were used to assess the phylogenetic re- lationships of populations of Lacerta dugesii from the volcanic Atlantic islands of Madeira, the Desertas, Porto Santo, and the Selvagens. All four-island groups are genetically distinguishable and populations within each contain similar degrees of genetic diversity. Molecular clock estimates suggest that the islands were colonized much later after their emergence compared to other Atlantic islands, possibly due to their greater geographical isolation. Mismatch analysis of all populations is consistent with ex- ponential growth, as expected after colonization of empty niches. The Selvagens contain genetic substructuring between the islets.

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Genetic differentiation among nine populations of the endemic lizard Lacerta dugesii Milne-Edwards 1829 (Lacertidae) from four groups of islands constituting the Archipelago of Madeira, was investigated by protein electrophoresis at 23 enzyme loci. Among twenty polymorphic loci, the total genetic diversity was due primarily to intra-population variation. The allele and genotypic frequencies among populations showed some heterogeneity, allowing the species to present a structuring pattern compatible with their geographical clustering. Some evidence suggests that selection actring on some loci in different ecological conditions may be responsible for the clustering of the populations studied. There was no apparent isolation effect expected under an “island” model of population divergence, and no correlation was found between genetic and geographic distances among populations. Morphological variation of the proposed three L. dugesii subspecies is not congruent with the allozyme analysis. This most probably suggest a rapid colonization of the isloands followed by a strong effect of selection operating over the morphological characters used to define the subspecies.

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As on many other islands, most of the seabird species breeding in the Azores archipelago are now restricted to tiny remnants of their former nesting range, due mainly to the consequences of the introduction of mammals by man. Praia islet (off Graciosa island) holds six seabird species, four of which are classified as species “of Conservation Concern” in Europe and another one is considered globally “Vulnerable”. Habitat restoration, combining rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus eradication in 1997, installation of artificial nest boxes for terns in 1996 and for storm-petrels in 2000, and native plant re-introduction between 1998 and 2003, led to a noticeable recovery of vegetation cover and seabird breeding numbers. Here we present updated data concerning the population trends of the Common Tern Sterna hirundo, the Roseate Tern S. dougallii, the Madeiran Storm-petrel Hydrobates castro and the Azores-endemic Monteiro’s Storm-petrel H. monteiroi on Praia islet. Whereas storm-petrel numbers in artificial nests have kept increasing since 2000, tern numbers have been fluctuating since the mid-2000s. However, and despite the current absence of mammals on Praia islet, seabirds still face threats when breeding. Turnstones Arenaria interpres and Starlings Sturnus vulgaris granti consume tern eggs, and introduced Madeiran Lizards Lacerta dugesii may prey on Monteiro’s Storm-petrel chicks.

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Morphological divergence under gene flow was investigated in the wall lizard Teira dugesii from the Atlantic island of Madeira island. Lizards (n=334) were sampled using a matched pairs design at four distinct coastal localities. Matched pairs comprised adjacent (<1 km) grey shingle beach and inland sites. Luminances of specific dorsal areas were recorded for each RGB channel from digital photographs taken in the field. Lizards were found to be significantly darker at beach sites than inland sites. Geometric morphometric analyses using 35 landmarks placed on dorsal photographs of the head revealed significant divergence between beach/inland habitats: wider snouts were found at beach sites. Genotyping-by-sequencing of 93 individuals provided 19311 cross-genomic SNPs. A spatial principal components analysis showed significant genomic divergence across the four sampled localities and within these localities. However, there was no evidence that beach and inland populations formed distinct lineages. Patterns of genomic divergence were compared with those generated from simulations under three models. Primary findings were repeated across all four localities. The model of divergence without gene flow was rejected, while the most strongly supported model incorporating two periods of gene flow: an early period of lower gene flow followed by a period of higher gene flow. Gene flow from inland to beach was greater than that in the opposite direction. This study demonstrates ecologically significant morphological divergence in the face of gene flow and adds to understanding of how divergence and speciation may occur within small islands.

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Limited spatial separation within small islands suggests that observed population divergence may occur due to habitat differences without interruption to gene flow but strong evidence of this is scarce. The wall lizard Teira dugesii lives in starkly contrasting shingle beach and inland habitats on the island of Madeira. We used a matched pairs sampling design to examine morphological and genomic divergence between four beach and adjacent (<1 km) inland areas. Beach populations are significantly darker than corresponding inland populations. Geometric morphometric analyses reveal divergence in head morphology: beach lizards have generally wider snouts. Genotyping-by-sequencing allows the rejection of the hypothesis that beach populations form a distinct lineage. Bayesian analyses provide strong support for models that incorporate gene flow, relative to those that do not, replicated at all pairs of matched sites. Madeiran lizards show morphological divergence between habitats in the face of gene flow, revealing how divergence may originate within small islands.

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Rates of tail regeneration in the Madeira wall lizard (Lacerta dugesii) and the slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) were studied. L. dugesii regenerates very rapidly, the new tail sometimes attaining a maximum rate of growth of 2`6 mm a day during the fifth week after autotomy. By the twelfth week 90% of the original tail length has been replaced. Average regeneration rates of samples of lizards were reduced after repeated autotomies, but our investigation of this problem was probably complicated by another factor, the amount of tail lost, and is inconclusive. The tip of the regenerate grows more rapidly than the rest; no elongation occurs at its cranial aspect. Anguis, even when kept at 27°C, regenerates its tail very slowly, the best performance observed being a new tail of 5 mm after 14 weeks. The longest natural regenerate seen (16 mm) may have taken several years to produce in the wild. The histological features of regeneration in Anguis are basically similar to those in other lizards. The new osteoderms are formed entirely in the subepidermal tissues but have a regular relationship with the scales. Some nerve fibres are regenerated with the ependymal tube. The scales on the lizard`s regenerating tail develop in a different manner from those in the lizard embryo and show suggestive resemblances to mammalian hairs.

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We discuss three aspects of the thermal biology of lacertid lizards. First, we provide an overview of the available data on field body temperatures (Tb), the thermal sensitivity of various performance functions and selected body temperatures in different species of lacertid lizards. We also briefly summarise information on the mechanisms of thermoregulation. Second, we discuss recent developments to estimate the »precision« of thermoregulation, and the contribution of distinct behavioural mechanisms. Finally, we revise available evidence for the existence of evolutionary adjustments of thermal characteristics in lacertid lizards. Existing studies have mainly dealt with within- and among-species differences in thermoregulatory behaviour (selected temperatures) and thermal physiology of adults (optimal temperatures, heating rates). Available data provide only limited evidence for clear-cut evolutionary shifts in thermal physiology characteristics along climatic gradients.

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Samples of Lacerta dugesii were collected on the Madeiran islands, measured and scored for number of scales in seven scale rows. Body length is related to age. Scale number varies between the island groups but does not appear to decrease in variance with age. Relative leg length declines in variability with age and varies significantly from one sample to another on Madeira.

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Lacerta dugesii, the small lizard of the Madeiran archipelago, exhibits a variety of dorsal colors ranging from green to shades of brown or black, with or without lateral stripes. The preponderant colors in the lizard population vary according to the locality. Dorsal colors could theoretically have a cryptic or thermal function. Our experiments on the rate of warming and cooling of differently colored lizards under field conditions suggest that color is unimportant for heat balance in this species. Lizard size probably has a small effect, but the most important factor is insolation which is most easily altered by moving into sunshine or shade. The temperatures attained by acrylic models painted nonglossy black or reflective silver and placed in the sun or shade support these conclusions. Raptorial birds, gulls and feral cats are common in Madeira and are likely to be visual hunters of lizards. Selective predation is a more attractive hypothesis to explain the variation than is our thermal hypothesis.

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Comparative analyses were carried out about the variability of the pileal shields of different species belonging to the family Lacertidae. The results of the comparisons have been evaluated in respect to the phylogenetical relationships existing between the different genera and species of the family.

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The Madeiran lizard Lacerta muralis dugesii was observed visiting flowers of the introduced species Aloe arborescens and of the indigenous Echium nervosum; a small lizard could put its head into the flower, presumably to drink nectar. Both plants were growing near walls inhabited by lizards. It is suggested that this lizard-flower inter-relationship may be a possible model of a palaeo-ecological connection between pre-angiosperms and reptilian pre-birds.

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The study of flower visitor behavior and pollen transport dynamics within and between plants can be of great importance, especially for threatened or rare plant species. In this work, we aim to assess the flower visitor assemblage of the Madeiran endemic Echium candicans and evaluate the performance of the most common visitors through the analysis of their foraging behavior and pollen loads. The flower visitor assemblage of E. candicans is diverse, including several insect groups and the endemic lizard Teira dugesii, but bees are the most common visitors. In general, large bees (Amegilla quadrifasciata, Apis mellifera, and Bombus spp.) had the highest average visitation rates (>18 flowers/min) and their pollen loads had higher percentages of homospecific pollen (>66%) when compared with butterflies and hoverflies. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) and two bumblebees (Bombus terrestris and B. ruderatus) were the most efficient flower visitors of E. candicans, but their foraging behavior seems to favor geitonogamy. Other visitors, such as butterflies and the small bee Lasioglossum wollastoni, may have a complementary role to the honeybee and bumblebee species, as their high mobility is associated with fewer flower visits on each plant and may promote xenogamy. Two non-native bees (A. mellifera and B. ruderatus) are important flower visitors of E. candicans and may contribute mostly to self-pollination rendering the endemic plant more vulnerable to inbreeding effects.

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Reptiles are the most common non-flying terrestrial vertebrates in insular ecosystems, being commonly associated with seabird colonies, where they use the resources made available by the presence of birds, and sometimes prey on the birds. Selvagem Grande is an important seabird colony. Cory’s shearwater, Calonectris borealis, nests in this island on burrows and rock cavities. In these nests, it is possible to find a high abundance of invertebrates, many of them bird ectoparasites. Selvagem Grande is also the home of a lacertid, the Madeiran wall lizard, Teira dugesii. This small omnivorous lizard is often found in Cory’s shearwater nests, and sometimes preys on chicks and eggs of this species. Like other lacertids, T. dugesii is diurnal, heliothermic and thermophile, relying on high temperatures to be active. Despite this, it’s common to find active Madeiran Wall lizards in Cory’s nests during the night. Cory’s shearwaters, like other seabirds, return to land at night to feed the chicks and it is plausible that the lizards may be extending its daily cycle to take advantage of the leftover food. It is also plausible that the lizards are using the residual heat of the nests or of the birds to maintain a higher internal temperature during the night. The present study aims to improve the knowledge about the relationship between these two species by characterizing abiotic and biotic conditions in Cory’s nests, assessing lizard activity and behavior and determining the main stimuli attracting lizards to the nests, and describing the diel thermal cycle of the lizards associated with nests. The nests were filmed to describe the daily variation in activity and behavior of lizards. The influence of the stimuli “sardine smell” and “heat” in lizards was tested during the day and night. Finally, the daily variation of T. dugesii’s body temperature, with and without access to nests, was described. All sampling took place during 3 distinct phases of Cory’s reproductive cycle: incubation period, chick rearing, and their abandonment of nests. Despite occupied nests being deeper, their thermal conditions were not different from unoccupied ones. Unoccupied nests had fewer invertebrates, housing only about 2% of the ectoparasites found in occupied nests. Lizards displayed a more frequent and wider array of behaviors, especially those related to feeding, in occupied nests. Lizard activity in nests with birds was particularly intense just after the chicks hatched. During this time, individuals of T. dugesii were 3 times more present and spent 7 times more time searching for food in occupied nests. Lizards responded more rapidly and in greater numbers to the stimulus “sardine smell”, both during the day and night. Despite being apparently ineffective in attracting lizards, the stimulus “heat” was used for thermoregulation whenever available. Madeiran Wall lizard body temperatures, despite being almost always higher, varied with the environment. Of the 43 lizards captured during the night, 13 were found inside Cory’s nests and even underneath chicks. The measured body temperature in these lizards was 4.40 ± 1.63 ºC above the environmental temperature. Only the heat emitted by the nests occupants explains such temperature differences during the night. This is one of the few recorded cases of nocturnal activity in lacertids and possibly the first one involving thermoregulation in birds’ nests.

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Besnoitia cysts in the heart of a lizard (Lacerta dugesii) from the islands of Madeira are the first record of besnoitiosis in a poikilothermic animal in the Old World. The size of the cysts corresponds to those found in lizard genera (Basiliscus and Ameiva) from Panama which belong to B. darlingi. Up to now nothing is known concerning the life cycle of this species from Madeira but it seems possible that cats function as definitive hosts as well as in the other species.

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Climatic conditions changing over time and space shape the evolution of organisms at multiple levels, including temperate lizards in the family Lacertidae. Here we reconstruct a dated phylogenetic tree of 262 lacertid species based on a supermatrix relying on novel phylogenomic datasets and fossil calibrations. Diversification of lacertids was accompanied by an increasing disparity among occupied bioclimatic niches, especially in the last 10 Ma, during a period of progressive global cooling. Temperate species also underwent a genome- wide slowdown in molecular substitution rates compared to tropical and desert-adapted lacertids. Evaporative water loss and preferred temperature are correlated with bioclimatic parameters, indicating physiological adaptations to climate. Tropical, but also some popu- lations of cool-adapted species experience maximum temperatures close to their preferred temperatures. We hypothesize these species-specific physiological preferences may con- stitute a handicap to prevail under rapid global warming, and contribute to explaining local lizard extinctions in cool and humid climates.

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Field observations of Joger`s Maghreb lizard, Teira dugesii jogeri (BISCHOFF, OSENEGG & MAYER, 1989), were made duringthree brief visits to the island of Porto Santo. Information on ecological niche utilization and behavior is provided. The threetypes of resting positioning previously described for Teira dugesii Arc complemented by a fourth type for the subspeciesjogeri. In addition, data on the variability of colour and pattern is made available, mainly in the form of photographs. Thewide food spectrum is described, and the threats facing these lizards in the form of possible predators and man are discussed.Key words: Reptilia: Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae: Teira dugesii jogeri (BISCHOFF, OSENEGG & MAYER, 1989): behaviour;diet; colour and pattern variability; Europe: Portugal: Makaronesian Islands: Madeira Archipelago: Porto Santo.

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In recent years there has been an exponential increase in the amount of published DNA sequences, as it has become one of the most popular sources of data for reconstructing phylogenies. A number of studies have attempted to resolve the relationships of groups of lacertids using mitochondrial DNA sequence data, in particular Podarcis and Gallotia (e.g. THORPE et al., 1994; 1996; GONZALEZ et al., 1996; FU et al., 1997; HARRIS, 1997; HARRIS et al., 1998a; 1999; CASTILLA et al., 1999a,b). Reassessment of these data suggest some alternative phylogenies to those previously published, and also highlight possible problems. Two studies have attempted to unravel the phylogeny of the whole family using mitochondrial DNA sequences (FU, 1998; HARRIS et al., 1998b). By combining these essentially congruent data sets, and reanalysing levels of support for the phylogenies produced, a more complete estimate of relationships across the family is produced. This is then compared to alternative sources of evidence, primarily morphological (ARNOLD, 1989), biochemical (MAYER & BENYR, 1994) and karyological (OLMO et al., 1993). Reasons for discrepencies are discussed, as are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different sources of phylogenetic inference.

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DNA sequences from parts of the 12S, 16S and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes, which totalled 1049 aligned base pairs, were used to estimate the relationships of 49 species of Lacertidae, including representatives of 19 out of the 23 recognized genera and 23 species of the paraphyletic genus Lacerta. These data were used, together with morphological information, to estimate the relationships within the family. Molecular evidence corroborates the monophyletic status of many genera and species groups originally based on morphology. It indicates that Psammodromus forms a clade with Gallotia, which is the sister taxon of all other lacertids. These comprise three units: the primarily Afrotropical armatured group; the largely Oriental Takydromus; and the west Palaearctic Lacerta and its derivatives, Podarcis and Algyroides. Morphology also supports the first three assemblages, but suggests that they are derived from a paraphyletic Lacerta. Within Lacerta and its allies, DNA sequence analysis corroborates the affinity of some members of each of the subgenera Lacerta s. str. and Timon, and of the L. saxicola group. It also supports the relationship of L. monticola, L. bonnali and L. horvathi, and suggests that the L. parva–L. fraasi clade and L. brandti are not related to Psammodromus–Gallotia, as morphology indicates, but instead are associated respectively with the L. danfordi and L. saxicola groups. DNA sequence data provide additional evidence that the eastern Arabian `Lacerta` jayakari and `L.` cyanura are members of the armatured clade and also sister species. Our analysis supports an origin for present lacertids in west Eurasia. The armatured clade invaded Africa, probably in the mid-Miocene, spreading widely and evolving increasingly xeric-adapted forms, one lineage of which later moved back into the Palaearctic. `Lacerta` jayakari and `L.` cyanura are assigned to Omanosaura, Lutz and Mayer 1986. The name Gallotiinae Cano, Baez, Lopez-Jurado and Ortega, 1984 is available for the Gallotia–Psammodromus clade, Eremiainae Shcherbak 1975 for the armatured clade and Lacertinae for Lacerta, Podarcis and Algyroides. Two new subgenera of Lacerta are proposed here: Caucasilacerta for L. saxicola and its allies, and Parvilacerta for L. parva and L. fraasi.

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The evolutionary diversification of many terrestrial vertebrate groups is strongly linked to climatic events in the Cenozoic, the period from 65 Million years ago to today when modern animals first appeared. I investigated the effects of Cenozoic climate change on the taxonomic and morphological diversification of the Old World lizard family Lacertidae, with particular emphasis on the African radiation. African lacertids exhibit an unusual pattern of diversification, in which their highest species richness occurs in deserts north and south of the equator, despite being spread throughout the continent. This disparity is particularly surprising given that desert lacertids are thought to be evolutionarily younger than their mesic-dwelling relatives, suggesting increased diversification rates in arid habitats. To identify the evolutionary factors underlying this pattern, I use a combination of phylogenetic, morphological and ecological techniques. In Chapter 1, I apply Bayesian methods and fossil-based calibrations to molecular sequence data to construct a time-calibrated phylogeny for Lacertidae. I estimate that the family arose in the early Cenozoic, with the majority of their African radiation occurring in the Eocene and Oligocene. In Chapter 2, I describe changes in lacertid body shape across biomes and substrates, and find widespread morphological convergence in similar habitat types. I suggest that in addition to foraging demands, fluctuating and extreme climatic conditions, largely driven by precipitation and temperature, contribute to morphological convergence across independent arid-dwelling clades. Finally, I test if ancestral transitions in ecology, morphology, and rates of diversification temporally coincide with paleoclimatic events in the Cenozoic. I use High Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography to characterize changes in the skull related to life in arid habitats, and apply maximum likelihood methods to test if the origins of those traits temporally coincide with significant shifts in habitat, diversification rates and climatic changes. My results show that African lacertids experienced three major peaks in diversification, accompanied by the evolution of suites of arid-adapted morphological traits. These changes coincide with climatic shifts in Africa, including the transition from closed forests to open grasslands and savanna in the late Oligocene, prior to the peak temperatures of the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, and following the formation of the Benguela current leading to hyper-aridity in southern Africa. I conclude that deserts are important centers for reptile evolution, but that expected changes in climate due to global warming may outpace the ability of arid-dwelling species to adapt and persist in the future.

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Background: Although current molecular clock methods offer greater flexibility in modelling evolutionary events, calibration of the clock with dates from the fossil record is still problematic for many groups. Here we implement several new approaches in molecular dating to estimate the evolutionary ages of Lacertidae, an Old World family of lizards with a poor fossil record and uncertain phylogeny. Four different models of rate variation are tested in a new program for Bayesian phylogenetic analysis called TreeTime, based on a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences. We incorporate paleontological uncertainty into divergence estimates by expressing multiple calibration dates as a range of probabilistic distributions. We also test the reliability of our proposed calibrations by exploring effects of individual priors on posterior estimates. Results: According to the most reliable model, as indicated by Bayes factor comparison, modern lacertids arose shortly after the K/T transition and entered Africa about 45 million years ago, with the majority of their African radiation occurring in the Eocene and Oligocene. Our findings indicate much earlier origins for these clades than previously reported, and we discuss our results in light of paleogeographic trends during the Cenozoic. Conclusion: This study represents the first attempt to estimate evolutionary ages of a specific group of reptiles exhibiting uncertain phylogenetic relationships, molecular rate variation and a poor fossil record. Our results emphasize the sensitivity of molecular divergence dates to fossil calibrations, and support the use of combined molecular data sets and multiple, well-spaced dates from the fossil record as minimum node constraints. The bioinformatics program used here, TreeTime, is publicly available, and we recommend its use for molecular dating of taxa faced with similar challenges.

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Using the technique of capture, mark and recapture, here is reported a case of high longevity in the Madeiran lizard, Teira dugesii. It is one of the highest reported values for lacertid lizards (16 years or more) in a wild population.

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Partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA genes (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and Cytochrome b) and nuclear DNA (c-mos and enolase), as well as enzymatic markers were used to infer colonization patterns and genetic relationships of reptiles from families lacertidae, scincidae and gekkonidae of Madeira, Cape Verde Archipelagos and Gulf of Guinea islands. These markers also allowed us to uncover species introductions in these islands. The data allows us to detect a intra-specific geographical structure on Mabuya maculilabris from São Tomé and a inter-specific geographical structure of the genus Mabuya in Cape Verde Archipelago. It is also possible to detect a well defined intra-specific geographical structure in Lacerta dugesii from the Archipelago of Madeira that presents fixed haplotypes for each of the four groups of islands. Lacerta dugesii has probably been the result of one single colonization event in the Archipelago of Madeira. Our results reject the hypothesis of the anthropological introduction of the species in the Selvagens Islands. Mabuya spp. from Cape Verde islands were also the result of one colonization event followed by a radiation through the islands. Our results from Cape Verde, and data from reptiles endemic to the Canary Islands, suggest that the number of colonization events of skinks is lower than that observed in geckos. Our results from the Gulf of Guinea seems to be an exception to this rule. Mabuya spp. is the result of four different colonization events, one for Mabuya ozorii of Annobon, one for Mabuya affinis of Príncipe and two for the two forms of Mabuya maculilabris (one from Príncipe and one from São Tomé). Probably the two forms of São Tome and Príncipe are different species or belong to a species complex. The geckos from the Gulf of Guinea islands are the result of fewer events of colonization, probably two for Hemidactylus spp. Considering the genus Mabuya we consider five groups of species, one more than the previously published data, that is the North Africa + Turkey group which implies the need to divide the forms of Africa. Using Lacerta dugesii as a model we didn’t find congruence between enzymatic, morphological and molecular data. The molecular markers allow us to detect introduced species as Hemidactylus mabouia in Madeira, Cape Verde and islands of Gulf of guinea islands, as well as Ramphotyphlobs braminus in Annobon. It was also possible to review the taxonomic status of some species. We consider the existence of three subspecies of Lacerta dugesii. In Mabuya from Cape Verde Islands, the previous established relationships are also validated. In Tarentola more genetic distinct groups than those previously established were obtained, and probably we discovered a new subspecies of Tarentola gigas. We confirmed the presence of a Mabuya in Annobon (probably M. ozorii, omitted species on EMBL Reptile database). Two distinct forms of Mabuya maculilabris were found, one in Príncipe and one in São Tomé. The molecular data seems to reject the anthropological introduction of M. maculilabris. The c-mos can be a good phylogenetic marker at the infraspecific level. The same happened for the control region which is. At least in Lacerta dugesii, less variable than cytochrome b.

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The distribution and the ratios between noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) cells in eight species belonging to the family Lacertidae were studied. There are variations in the distribution of the two cell types within the gland and a wide range of variation in the NA/A cell ratio. Comparing their data with palaeontological, anatomical and biochemical evidence, the authors are inclined to consider G. galloti and L. graeca as the most ancient lizards among those studied and to ascribe L. graeca to the group Lacerta part II together with L. dugesii. P. pityusensis should also be ascribed to the same group on the basis of the result, of this study. The other four species studied (L. lepida, L. trilineata, L. viridis and L. schreiberi) appear to be of fairly recent origin and should be ascribed to the group Lacerta part I, on the basis of the homogeneous distribution of the chromaffin cells inside the adrenal gland and their low NA/A cell ratios.

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Vertebrate pests cause significant economic loss in several agricultural crops worldwide; therefore, their populations are often controlled through culling. Correctly identifying the main species responsible for the damage is essential to avoid persecuting the wrong targets, yet it is challenging. During 2016 and 2017, we tested the usefulness of camera-trapping (CT) in Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal to identify vertebrate pests. Vineyard owners in this region cull the Azores woodpigeon (Columba palumbus azorica), the common pigeon (Columba livia), the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), the Azores blackbird (Turdus merula azorensis), and the Madeira wall lizard (Teira dugesii) to reduce damage to grapes. Using CT photos and videos, we identified nine species damaging the grape, but four of those were only observed occasionally (< 10 consumption events over 2years). The Madeira lizard (371.09 and 232.47 consumption events100-CT-days in 2016 and 2017, respectively), the house sparrow (284.01 and 21.73 consumption events100-CT-days in 2016 and 2017, respectively), and the Azores blackbird (17.35 and 8.23 consumption events100-CT-days in 2016 and 2017, respectively) had the most frequent consumption events. All three species were most active in the morning (8:00–9:00) and in the afternoon (16:00–17:00 for the Madeira lizard and the house sparrow, and 18:00–19:00 for the Azores blackbird). We demonstrated the advantage of using CT in cultivated habitats to provide valuable information about the identity, behaviour, daily-activity patterns, and relative consumption rates of vineyard pests. We also provided evidence that the endemic Azores woodpigeon and the common pigeon should not be targeted by the farmers in Terceira.

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In the Isle of Madeira, with its highly diverse climat zones, Podarcis dugesii (MILNE-EDWARDS, 1829) is found in almost all habitats: rubble shores and cliffs, rocky structures in agricultural land, subarid zones on the Lourenço Peninsula, the highest ridges of the central mountains, and rocks in the Launis woods; from the supralitoral up to the summit of the mountains (1861 m a.s.l.)

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The Madeiran Lizard Teira dugesii shows during basking a special `feet up` attitude that is described in detail.

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Within a 500 m margin along the more than 2,000 km long coastline of Continental Portugal, its coastal islands and atlantic archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens) 21 amphibian and 40 reptile taxa (including 5 marine turtles) were recorded; three of them are insular endemisms (Tarentola bischoffi, Podarcis carbonelli berlengensis, and the polytypic Teira dugesii). The extreme maritim-atlantic component of the coastal climate plays a relevant part as biogeographic factor: parallel to the coast eurosiberian and montane species penetrate deep into the mediterranean region (Lissotriton helveticus, Alytes obstetricans, Anguis fragilis, Lacerta schreiberi, Podarcis carbonelli) and reach there the southernmost limit of their distribution area; on the other hand some thermophilous taxa (Pleurodeles waltl, Pelobates cultripes, Pelodytes sp., Podarcis hispanica) reach along the coast in the eurosiberian region their northernmost limit. In the last 30 years the coastal ecosystems were overrun by an excessive urbanisation, caused by inland immigration and tourism. Consequently in many coast sectors the herpetofauna are endangered, often extincted by urban and suburban development with fragmentation, degradation and destruction of habitats. Namely ca. 40 % of the coastal region are protected areas, but the effectiveness of this protection is threatened by many special permissions for building projects and an insufficient supervision of the nature reserves.

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Reptiles are uncommon as seabird predators on islands. While conducting a study on Cory`s Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) on Selvagem Grande, North Atlantic, incidental observations during 2006 early hatching period indicated that some chicks were being killed by Madeiran Wall Lizards (Teira dugesii). In the same year and in 2007, the phenomenon was further examined and samples of 78 and 153 nests, respectively, were followed. Also, non-systematic visits were made to other nests. A total of 40 episodes of lizards depredating Cory`s Shearwaters hatchlings was recorded. This hitherto unknown source of predation for this shearwater accounted for the failure of four (5.1%) study nests in 2006 and eight (5.2%) study nests in 2007. All recorded predation cases took place either during or shortly after hatching. Also, non-systematic observations indicated that three other species of burrowing petrels (Bulwer`s Petrel, Bulweria bulwerii; Madeiran Storm-petrel, Oceanodroma castro, White-faced Storm-petrel, Pelagodroma marina) were preyed upon by Madeiran Wall Lizards. Predation by lizards is apparently a phenomenon of lesser concern for Cory`s Shearwaters but the potentially higher impact over the smaller petrel species is not known.

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The albumins from 41 species of the family Lacertidae representing a substantial part of genera as well as infrageneric groups of the collective genus Lacerta s.l. were investigated by means of the MCF technique. The data allow a chronological estimation of the most important radiation events and their correlation with paleogeographical facts. Our results are in remarkable contradiction to the phylogeny presented by ARNOLD (1989a) based mainly on morphological characters. The most important phylogenetic relationships are: 1. The genera Gallona and Psammodromus are already isolated from the other taxa since the Oligocene. We assess these main branches as subfamilies Gallotiinae and Lacertinae. 2. Lacerta s.str. and Lacerta subgenus Zootoca form the sister group of the remaining Lacertinae. 3. A colonization of Africa in the Lower Miocene has led to a separation in two lines, with mainly Eurasian and African members respectively. 4. ARNOLD`S (I.e.) `Ethiopian and advanced Saharo-Eurasian clade` proved to be a paraphyletic unit, one group of genera being more closely related to European taxa. All techniques applied to the systematics of Lacertidae hitherto are critically discussed. An area-time- hypothesis concerning the phylogeny of Lacertidae is presented. Key words: Lacertidae, phylogeny of; Gallotiinae subfam. nov.; Lacertinae subfam. nov.; micro complement fixation; albumin evolution.

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According to their phylogenetic relationships, the subgenera Zootoca, Omanosaura, and Timon are excluded from the genus Lacerta, and Teira is excluded from the genus Podarcis. On the basis of their morphological and karyological pecularities, they are defined as full genera.

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Investigated the albumins from 31 species and subspecies of the genus Lacerta s.1. by means of the immunoloical techniue Micro-Complement-fixation. Dendrograms were computed by means of the ktch-MargJiash algorithm. Moreover the taxa of the Lacerta saxicola and the Lacerta danfordi comlexes were analyzed by electrophoresis concerning 14 genetic loci. The results were discussel together with karyological and genitalmorphological data so far known yielding the following relationships: Lacerta graeca shows a closer relationshi to the subgenus Podarcis as does the quite closely related species air L. dugesii and L. perspicikata. Lacerta Iaevis probabl is connected closely to Podarcis, too. Lacerta parva shows a closer relationship to the `small izards` than to the sub-genus Lacerta s. str. A clear decision concerning the position of the Lacerta danfordi complex according to chemosystematical data was not possible. It is isolated from the other species probably about as long as L. puma. Biochemical differences between its `species` are too small to confirm their taxonomical revalorisation by Eiselt and Schmidtler Within the Lacerta saxicola complex the investigated taxa show a close relationship. Lacerta praticola and L. derjugini were definitly assigned to this group.

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The family Lacertidae encompasses more than 250 species distributed in the Palearctis, Ethiopis and Orientalis. Lacertids have been subjected in the past to several morphological and molecular studies to establish their phylogeny. However, the problems of convergent adaptation in morphology and of excessively variable molecular markers have hampered the establishment of well supported deeper phylogenetic relationships. Particularly the adaptations to xeric environments have often been used to establish a scenario for the origin and radiation of major lineages within lacertids. Here we present a molecular phylogenetic study based on two nuclear marker genes and representatives of 37 lacertid genera and distinct species groups (as in the case of the collective genus Lacerta). Roughly 1600 bp of the nuclear rag1 and c-mos genes were sequenced and analyzed. While the results provide good support to the hitherto suggested main subfamilies of Gallotiinae (Gallotia and Psammodromus), Eremiainae and Lacertinae [Harris, D.J., Arnold, E.N., Thomas, R.H., 1998. Relationships of lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae) estimated from mitochondrial DNA sequences and morphology. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 265, 1939–1948], they also suggest unexpected relationships. In particular, the oriental genus Takydromus, previously considered the sister-group to the three subfamilies, is nested within Lacertinae. Moreover, the genera within the Eremiainae are further divided into two groups, roughly corresponding to their respective geographical distributions in the Ethiopian and the Saharo-Eurasian ranges. The results support an independent origin of adaptations to xeric conditions in different subfamilies. The relationships within the subfamily Lacertinae could not be resolved with the markers used. The species groups of the collective genus Lacerta show a bush-like topology in the inferred Bayesian tree, suggesting rapid radiation. The composition of the subfamilies Eremiainae and Lacertinae as well as their phylogeography are discussed.

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Aim Body size is instrumental in influencing animal physiology, morphology, ecology and evolution, as well as extinction risk. I examine several hypotheses regarding the influence of body size on lizard evolution and extinction risk, assessing whether body size influences, or is influenced by, species richness, herbivory, island dwelling and extinction risk. Location World-wide. Methods I used literature data and measurements of museum and live specimens to estimate lizard body size distributions. Results I obtained body size data for 99% of the world`s lizard species. The body size–frequency distribution is highly modal and right skewed and similar distributions characterize most lizard families and lizard assemblages across biogeographical realms. There is a strong negative correlation between mean body size within families and species richness. Herbivorous lizards are larger than omnivorous and carnivorous ones, and aquatic lizards are larger than non-aquatic species. Diurnal activity is associated with small body size. Insular lizards tend towards both extremes of the size spectrum. Extinction risk increases with body size of species for which risk has been assessed. Main conclusions Small size seems to promote fast diversification of disparate body plans. The absence of mammalian predators allows insular lizards to attain larger body sizes by means of release from predation and allows them to evolve into the top predator niche. Island living also promotes a high frequency of herbivory, which is also associated with large size. Aquatic and nocturnal lizards probably evolve large size because of thermal constraints. The association between large size and high extinction risk, however, probably reflects a bias in the species in which risk has been studied.

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Aim Temperature influences most components of animal ecology and life history – but what kind of temperature? Physiologists usually examine the influence of body temperatures, while biogeographers and macroecologists tend to focus on environmental temperatures. We aim to examine the relationship between these two measures, to determine the factors that affect lizard body temperatures and to test the effect of both temperature measures on lizard life history. Location World-wide. Methods We used a large (861 species) global dataset of lizard body temperatures, and the mean annual temperatures across their geographic ranges to examine the relationships between body and mean annual temperatures.We then examined factors influencing body temperatures, and tested for the influence of both on ecological and life-history traits while accounting for the influence of shared ancestry. Results Body temperatures and mean annual temperatures are uncorrelated. However, accounting for activity time (nocturnal species have low body temperatures), use of space (fossorial and semi-aquatic species are ‘colder’), insularity (mainland species are ‘hotter’) and phylogeny, the two temperatures are positively correlated. High body temperatures are only associated with larger hatchlings and increased rates of biomass production. Annual temperatures are positively correlated with clutch frequency and annual longevity, and negatively correlated with clutch size, age at first reproduction and longevity. Main conclusions Lizards with low body temperatures do not seem to have ‘slower’ life-history attributes than species with high body temperatures. The longer seasons prevalent in warm regions, and physiological processes that operate while lizards are inactive (but warm enough), make environmental temperatures better predictors of lizard life-history variation than body temperatures. This surprisingly greater effect of environmental temperatures on lizard life histories hints that global warming may have a profound influence on lizard ecology and evolution.

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Lepidosaurs are frequently described as having highly kinetic skulls, and different forms of cranial kinesis have been described as being characteristic of their radiation. The model of amphikinesis proposed by Frazzetta, J Morphol 1962; 111:287–319, which was long considered a synapomorphy of the large suborder Sauria, is now much debated given its uncertain distribution among the various lizard taxa and the lack of data about its morphological correlates. In this article, we analyze the anatomical correlates of different forms of cranial kinesis, with particular regard to the putative saurian amphikinesis, describing the possible diverse skull movements of several species of European gekkotans (Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus kotschyi, and Tarentola mauritanica) and lacertids (Lacerta agilis, L. bilineata, Podarcis muralis, P. siculus, and Teira dugesii). Using serial and whole-mount histology, we found clear differences between gekkotans and lacertids in the structure of several cranial joints underlining the existence of two degrees of intracranial mobility. The lacertid species possess the anatomical features for streptostyly (quadrate joints) and metakinesis (parietal-supraoccipital and parabasisphenoid-pterygoid joints) and lack the anatomical correlates for mesokinesis (mobility of frontal-parietal and palatine-pterygoid joints) and amphikinesis (coupled mesokinesis, metakinesis, and streptostyly). In contrast, geckos present all the anatomical correlates for amphikinesis as described by the traditional quadratic crank model. Finally, we present a comprehensive summary of the different forms of squamate cranial kinesis, advancing two alternative hypotheses about the evolutionary origin of amphikinesis.

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The Madeiran wall lizard Teira dugesii is a relatively new species to the Azores Archipelago, where it was accidentally introduced about 150 to 200 years ago. This lacertid quickly became naturalised and now occurs in all the nine main islands of the Azores. At Praia Islet, off Graciosa Island, the Madeiran wall lizard was recently observed preying on chicks of the threatened Monteiro’s storm-petrel Hydrobates monteiroi. To characterise the lizards’ trophic niche, we conducted a study of the diet of the Madeiran wall lizard at Praia using stable isotope analysis and next-generation sequencing. Our results indicate that the Madeiran wall lizard has a varied diet, consisting of at least 23 invertebrate taxa, 17 plant species, and occasionally, birds (two species detected, including storm-petrels). Marine derived food items were present in few samples, and it is vital to monitor the trophic interactions at Praia Islet to ensure the conservation of this threatened storm-petrel.

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Monteiro`s Storm-petrel (Hydrobates monteiroi) is a small seabird endemic to the Azores archipelago, where it is known to breed only on two mammal-free islets. Total breeding numbers are between 250 and 300 pairs. During the 2015 breeding season on Praia Islet, six Madeiran wall lizards (Lacerta dugesii) were observed depredating a Monteiro`s Storm-petrel chick about to fledge. In August 2015, a freshly killed chick without its head and four larger dead chicks were found. Eight other chicks had disappeared from their nests since our previous visit in early July. In 2016, there was further evidence of suspected lizard depredation. Three chicks were found predated and dragged out of their nests, and an additional 22 chicks disappeared from their nests before fledging. In 2016, Monteiro`s Storm-petrel breeding success was only 26.8%, the lowest ever recorded. We suspect that some of the chick deaths and nest failures may be attributed to these introduced lizards. All chicks were found dragged out of their nests, a behavior that is not consistent with kills from aerial predators. Lizards were suspected because they are the only possible predator on land. Therefore, we recommend evaluating the impact of Madeiran wall lizards on the two Monteiro`s Storm-petrel main colonies: Praia and Baixo Islets.

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Aim We discuss biogeographical hypotheses for the Mediterranean lizard species Podarcis and Teira within a phylogenetic framework based on partial mitochondrial DNA sequences. Methods We derived the most likely phylogenetic hypothesis from our data set (597 aligned positions from the 12S rDNA and phenyl tRNA) under parsimony, distance and maximum likelihood assumptions. Results The species usually included in Teira do not form a strongly monophyletic clade. In contrast, the monophyly of the genus Podarcis is rather well supported. Seven lineages are identified in the genus; in order of appearance within the tree, these are: the Balearic pityusensis and lilfordi pair, the sicula complex, a Tyrrhenian tiliguerta and raffonei pair, muralis, the Siculo-Maltese filfolensis and wagleriana pair, the Balkan group (erhardi, peloponnesiaca, milensis, melisellensis and taurica), and the Ibero-Maghrebian group (bocagei, atrata, hispanica and vaucheri). Conclusions The origin of the three European genera of lacertid assayed (Lacerta, Teira and Podarcis) is hypothesized to have occurred in the Oligocene. For Podarcis, a possible scenario of a Miocene diversification is derived from the sequence data, and the zoogeography of the lineages are discussed in relation to the palaeogeography of the Mediterranean. It is hypothesized that in the early history of the genus the main lineages separated by rapid, numerous and close events that produced a starting point very similar to a polytomy, hard to resolve by parsimony analysis of the data set.

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The occurrence and form of sex chromosomes were investigated with the aid of C-banding and 4′-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining in 13 species of lacertid lizards. The results obtained show the presence in five species of a female heterogamety in which the two sex chromosomes have the same shape and size, but the W differs from the Z in being almost entirely heterochromatic. This condition is clearly similar to that found in some snakes and considered to be an early stage of differentiation of sex chromosomes by Singh et al. (1976, 1980). A more evolved condition may be that found in three other species in which the W is distinctly smaller than the Z. A third situation is that found in all Podarcis species which, even though they are considered to be among the more evolved species in the family, possess two sex chromosomes that are indistinguishable. In general, the situation in lacertids may be compatible with the hypothesis of sex chromosome evolution put forward by Singh et al. (1976, 1980). However a differentiation mechanism of this kind does not seem to be well established in lacertids, and is probably not the only mechanism that is in operation in this family.

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Chromosomal inter- and intraspecific variation in Lacertidae. The karyology of various species from the family Lacertidae (Reptilia, Sauria) has been studied with conventional and C-banding techniques. The study shows that this family is not so conservative from a karyological viewpoint as considered til! now. In fact supernumerary chromosomes have been observed in two of the species investigated. Moreover an inter- and intraspecific variability has been found in the C-banding pattern of the various species studied. The situation found in Podarcis sicula is particularly remarkable. Different Cbanding patterns have been observed in three different subspecies and in two populations of the same subspecies. The C-banding technique evidences also the existence in some of the species studied of a female sex heteromorphism, in which the W chromosomes is completely heterochromatic. These observations suggest that in lacertid lizards the evolution of the sex chromosomes follows the same steps hypothesized for snakes.

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The karyology of various species from the family Lacertidae (Reptilia, Sauria) has been studied with conventional and C-banding techniques. The study shows that this family is not so conservative from a karyological viewpoint as considered till now. In fact a higher diploid number than that generally observed in most species of Lacertidae and supernumerary chromosomes have been observed in three of the species investigated. Moreover an evident interand intraspecific variability has been found in the C-banding pattern of the various species studied. The situation found in Podarcis sicula is particularly remarkable. Different C-banding patterns have been observed in three different subspecies and in two populations of the same subspecies. These variations do not show a well defined trend and their role in the evolution of lacertid lizards is discussed. The C-banding analysis evidences also the existence in two of the species studied of a female sex heteromorphism, in which the W chromosome has the same shape and size as the Z, but differs from it in being completely heterochromatic. This situation reminds that observed in some snakes and suggests that in lacertid lizards the evolution of sex chromosomes might have followed the same steps previously hypothesized for ophidians.

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Lacertinae is one of the three lacertid lizard subfamilies with a geographical distribution confined to the Palaearctic. Several past attempts to reconstruct its phylogeny resulted in unresolved bush-like topologies. We address the question of whether the lack of resolution is due to insufficient data or whether this lack reflects a rapid succession of speciation events. We analyzed four partial and one complete gene sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, totalling roughly 3600 bp. We included 29 species representing all 19 genera suggested in recent revision of Lacertinae [Arnold, E.N., Arribas, O., Carranza, S., 2007. Systematics of the palaearctic and oriental lizard tribe Lacertini (Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae), with descriptions of eight new genera. Zootaxa 1430, 1–86]. The resulting phylogeny, first, corroborates monophyly at the genus level for the suggested genera, as well as the finding that Atlantolacerta andreanskyi, until recently part of Lacertinae, belongs to the subfamily Eremiadinae. Second, we find that increasing the sequence length and combining multiple nuclear and mitochondrial sequences did not resolve the polytomy, suggesting that the inferred topology indicates a multiple cladogenesis within a short geological period, rather than a methodical artefact. Divergence time estimates, based on previous estimates of several node ages, range from 13.9 to 14.9 million years for the radiation event, however with very broad confidence interval. To associate the radiation with a narrower geological time we consider palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic data, assuming that the Lacertinae probably evolved in Central Europe andWAsia after the collision of Africa and Eurasia. We suggest that this radiation may date to the late Langhian (ca. 14–13.5 million years) when geological events caused abrupt changes in regional water–land distribution and climate, offering a window of distinct conditions.

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Ultraviolet (UV) vision and UV colour patches have been reported in a wide range of taxa and are increasingly appreciated as an integral part of vertebrate visual perception and communication systems. Previous studies with Lacertidae, a lizard family with diverse and complex coloration, have revealed the existence of UV-reflecting patches that may function as social signals. However, confirmation of the signalling role of UV coloration requires demonstrating that the lizards are capable of vision in the UV waveband. Here we use a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the visual sensitivity of a diverse sample of lacertid species. Spectral transmission measurements of the ocular media show that wavelengths down to 300 nm are transmitted in all the species sampled. Four retinal oil droplet types can be identified in the lacertid retina. Two types are pigmented and two are colourless. Fluorescence microscopy reveals that a type of colourless droplet is UV-transmitting and may thus be associated with UV-sensitive cones. DNA sequencing shows that lacertids have a functional SWS1 opsin, very similar at 13 critical sites to that in the presumed ancestral vertebrate (which was UV-sensitive) and other UV-sensitive lizards. Finally, males of Podarcis muralis are capable of discriminating between two views of the same stimulus that differ only in the presence/absence of UV radiance. Taken together, these results provide convergent evidence of UV vision in lacertids, very likely by means of an independent photopigment. Moreover, the presence of four oil droplet types suggests that lacertids have a four-cone colour vision system.

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Many animals display complex colour patterns that comprise several adjacent, often contrasting colour patches. Combining patches of complementary colours increases the overall conspicuousness of the complex pattern, enhancing signal detection. Therefore, selection for conspicuousness may act not only on the design of single colour patches, but also on their combination. Contrasting long- and short-wavelength colour patches are located on the ventral and lateral surfaces of many lacertid lizards. As the combination of long- and short-wavelength-based colours generates local chromatic contrast, we hypothesized that selection may favour the co-occurrence of lateral and ventral contrasting patches, resulting in complex colour patterns that maximize the overall conspicuousness of the signal. To test this hypothesis we performed a comparative phylogenetic study using a categorical colour classification based on spectral data and descriptive information on lacertid coloration collected from the literature. Our results demonstrate that conspicuous ventral (long wavelength-based) and lateral (short wavelength-based) colour patches co-occur throughout the lacertid phylogeny more often than expected by chance, especially in the subfamily Lacertini. These results suggest that selection promotes the evolution of the complex pattern rather than the acquisition of a single conspicuous colour patch, possibly due to the increased conspicuousness caused by the combination of colours with contrasting spectral properties.

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Different kinds of interactions between lizards and plants in the Mediterranean basin have been described. Lizards have shown to `use` plants as a refuge against predators, as a foraging site, as a thermal microhabitat or as a food resource. In the last case, they can either act as herbivores (+/- interaction, consuming vegetative and/or reproductive parts, and damaging the plant to a higher or lower degree) or as mutualists (+/+ interaction, by behaving as legitimate pollinators and/or seed dispersers). The importance of plants as a food resource for Mediterranean lizards has been found to be high in insular habitats, espescially in small islands, where the paucity of arthropod prey availability redirects the foraging activity of lizards towards other nutrient resources. In such small islands, plants may play a major role in the trophic ecology of lacertid lizards, as suggested by recent studies. Likewise, lizards may be important both as efficient pollen transporters and seed dispersersfor a variety of plants. Some of these lizard-plant interactions are unique. The effect lizards have on the reproductive and dispersal succes of some species may be very relevant for plant preserveation, and in turn, the preserveation of prticular behavioral and ecological traits of the particular lizard populations depends, at least partly, on the plants they interact with.

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Arboreality can provide lizards with refuge from predators and a resource-rich environment, yet this behaviour is rarely observed in European lacertid species. The Madeiran Wall Lizard Teira dugesii is an adaptable species in its native and introduced range, reported to sometimes climb trees and bushes, but this remains largely anecdotal and insufficiently quantified. To better understand such arboreal behaviour, opportunistic and targeted repeated surveys were used to collect data on vegetation climbing by T. dugesii in Madeira and were then supplemented and compared with citizen science data extracted for this species across its range. As an additional comparison, the Guadarrama Wall Lizard Podarcis guadarramae, which has relatively similar ecology and is also known to sometimes climb trees, was also included with a similar number of citizen science records from the Iberian Peninsula. During field surveys in summer 2022, a total 10% (31 observations) out of the total 312 T. dugesii recorded were of individuals climbing trees and flowering shrubs in multiple locations, especially urban parks, but also in natural habitats. Contrary to previous literature reports, many arboreal observations were at substantial heights, of over 10 m in trees, yet the exact reasons for this behaviour and its ecological implications remain unclear. Community science data were abundant (T. dugesii 1161 records; P. guadarramae 1333 records) and included apparently arboreal records but these were difficult to interpret as height information was missing. Overall, T. dugesii appears significantly more arboreal than previously reported or compared to P. guadarramae, yet this behaviour remains mostly ignored. Future work could test the drivers and implications for this behaviour in different habitat types and populations.

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Living on islands entails numerous challenges for animals, among which population density approaching the carrying capacity of trophic resources stands out. To overcome this limitation, many insular lizards can supplement their insectivorous diet with increasing portions of plant material. The Madeira wall lizard, Teira dugesii, is a medium-sized lacertid, endemic to the Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos. As common in this family, adults are sexually dimorphic with males being bigger than females. Previous dietary studies on morphological scatology identified a higher proportion of plant over animal prey items, changing according to the location and sex. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to examine the diet of this lizard species quantifying it at a higher taxonomical resolution and enhancing the detection of soft-body prey that often go undetected in morphologybased studies. In a sample of 151 faecal samples from eight populations including different habitats and altitudes in Madeira, we identified 289 prey items belonging to eight animal and three plant Classes, encompassing 58 distinct orders and 140 families. Of these, 63 were identified up to the species level. The results support a strong trend towards herbivory in this species with plants representing almost 74% of the diet occurrences in contrast to the 26% of animal prey. Remarkably, the plant fraction of the diet remained stable across localities but varied with size and mass in males. As males grew bigger and heavier, they significantly increased their plant matter intake. Likely, larger bodies and abdomens allowed allocating longer and more complex digestive tracts harbouring intestinal flora to better decompose plant organic compounds. This allowed heavier animals to have a richer diet regime. However, diet richness and composition were not affected by either sex or size, while the locality had a significant effect on both diet components likely in response to local variation in prey availability. By including an increasing plant fraction into a primarily insectivorous diet, this insular lizard has not only enlarged its trophic niche but is also able to exploit more efficiently the highly variable resources provided by insular environments.

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Living on islands entails numerous challenges for animals, among which population density approaching the carrying capacity of trophic resources stands out. To overcome this limitation, many insular lizards can supplement their insectivorous diet with increasing portions of plant material. The Madeira wall lizard, Teira dugesii, is a mediumsized lacertid, endemic to the Madeira and Selvagens archipelagos. As common in this family, adults are sexually dimorphic with males being bigger than females. Previous dietary studies on morphological scatology identified a higher proportion of plant over animal prey items, changing according to the location and sex. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to examine the diet of this lizard species quantifying it at a higher taxonomical resolution and enhancing the detection of softbody prey that often go undetected in morphology based studies. In a sample of 151 faecal samples from eight populations including different habitats and altitudes in Madeira, we identified 289 prey items belonging to eight animal and three plant Classes, encompassing 58 distinct orders and 140 families. Of these, 63 were identified up to the species level. The results support a strong trend towards herbivory in this species with plants representing almost 74% of the diet occurrences in contrast to the 26% of animal prey. Remarkably, the plant fraction of the diet remained stable across localities but varied with size and mass in males. As males grew bigger and heavier, they significantly increased their plant matter intake. Likely, larger bodies and abdomens allowed allocating longer and more complex digestive tracts harbouring intestinal flora to better decompose plant organic compounds. This allowed heavier animals to have a richer diet regime. However, diet richness and composition were not affected by either sex or size, while the locality had a significant effect on both diet components likely in response to local variation in prey availability. By including an increasing plant fraction into a primarily insectivorous diet, this insular lizard has not only enlarged its trophic niche but is also able to exploit more efficiently the highly variable resources provided by insular environments.

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Here we present the first photographic evidence of opportunistic predation of a small passerine, the Berthelot’s pipitAnthus berthelotii madeirensis, on the Madeiran endemic lizard Teira dugesii mauli. The behaviour was observed in Deserta Grande, Madeira, and represents the second record of lizard predation by A. berthelotii and the first time this species is observed preying upon T. dugesii.

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Hemogregarine parasites are found in many vertebrates, being most prevalent in reptiles, with lizards being the second most common hosts after snakes. Hepatozoon is the most widespread of the four genera that parasitize reptiles by infecting red blood cells. The Hepatozoon lifecycle requires blood–sucking invertebrates as vectors, and vector abundance can determine the parasite prevalence. To compare parasite prevalence between a large island and an islet without standing water, we analysed blood samples of the Madeiran wall lizard, Teira dugesii, at Praia Islet and Gra¬ciosa Island in the Azores, Portugal. We found a comparatively low prevalence of Hepatozoon, belonging to a new genetic line. The prevalence of this new parasite on the larger Graciosa Island was eight times higher than that for Praia Islet, which has no standing water sources. Our results are in line with a generally higher prevalence of blood parasites in sites with higher vector abundance.

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The gut contents of about 1700 lizards from the Madeiran Archipelago and die Salvage Islands were examined. The diet, which shows habitat and geographical variation, consists of a variety of invertebrates and a good amount of plant matter. The degree of herbivory is correlated widi lizard sex and size and widi tail autotomy. The amount of food and specialization in the diet were also correlated. Comparisons are made between die sex-size classes widiin die populations.

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En el presente trabajo se realiza un estudio completo de la parasitofauna del lacertido Podarcis dugesii del Archipielago de Madeira (Madeira, Porto Santo y Deserta Grande). Los principales objetivos desarrollados son: I. Revision bibliografica del hospedador asi como de los grupos de protozoos, trematodos, nematodos y acantocefalos parasitos de reptiles y actualizacion de sus claves taxanomicas; II. Aislamiento, identificacion y descripcion de las especies parasitas encontradas; III. Estudio de las relaciones filogeneticas y zoogeograficas existentes entre los hospedadores de areas geograficas proximas, con argumentos parasitarios. Con esta finalidad, se recogieron y examinaron 955 ejemplares de P. dugesii identificandose en ellos 10 especies de protozos, 2 de trematodos, 4 de nematodos (entre ellas una nueva especie) y un acantocefalo, ..

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There is an increasing amount of evidence pointing towards the importance of bacteria and parasites in the ecology and dynamics of host populations. Complex microorganism communities living in intestinal tracts of the animals are known as the gut microbiome. These bacterial communities can impact the host’s fitness, immune system and behavior, whereas microbiome composition and diversity can be influenced by countless factors such as the host’s taxonomy, habitat, diet and social interactions with other individuals. In turn, blood parasites have a fundamental role in the ecosystem, weakening host fitness and reproductive ability, and thereby influencing population dynamics. Five lacertid lizard species were used for the present work, three endemic and two introduced: in Parque das Nações, Lisbon, the invasive Podarcis siculus (n=20) and the native Podarcis virescens (n=22); another introduced species, Teira dugesii (n=20), was captured from a distinct area of Lisbon (9 kilometres from the Parque das Naçoes); and in Moledo, Northern Portugal, two endemic and syntopic species were studied – Podarcis bocagei (n=33) and Podarcis lusitanicus (n=8). This thesis comprises two investigations. A first study was conducted in order to better understand the role and influence of environmental factors and the host in the gut microbiome composition and diversity of these five species. The second study had the objective of evaluating the effect of blood parasites on host behavior (using a mirror for the behavioral test), with the two syntopic species found in Moledo as models. This project allowed me to characterize the gut microbiome of these five species for the first time. Habitat/locality were the main factors driving gut microbiome differences between these species, and there was a greater microbiome diversity in species captured in Lisbon, the most urbanized studied site. I was able to verify a positive correlation between bacterial diversity and size in P. siculus, which indicates that it accumulates more bacteria, likely because bigger lizards explore more diverse environments. Additionally, I estimated bacteria transmission between sympatric lizards at Moledo and Parque das Nações. High transmission was verified for both populations. Results from the Lisbon population indicate that the invasive species, P. siculus might have acquired a higher proportion of local microbiota through the native species, P. virescens than vice versa. The second study highlighted the infection prevalence differences between P. bocagei and P. lusitanicus, with a larger number of infected individuals in the former. However, P. lusitanicus registered a higher average parasite intensity. The species that interacted with the mirror the most, and was therefore considered bolder, was P. lusitanicus. Contrary to what was expected, the individuals that interacted with the mirror the most, were more parasitized. This thesis aids in understanding the behavior and broadening the sphere of knowledge of microorganisms (bacteria and microparasites) and their interactions with the host. Such work is fundamentally important, and increased investment in these areas of knowledge is essential for species conservation.

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This book shows a comprehensive picture of the reptiles, excluding snakes, living in Europe, North Africa, Middle and Near East and Central Asia. The bulk of the book is an annotated checklist and a distributional atlas of approx 500 species of lizards, crocodiles, turtles and terrapins, and amphisbaenians, living in the Western Palearctic. Information on distribution, subspecies, chorotype and main references are provided for each species, as well as 226 colour maps showing the global distribution of the species on a grid of one degree. For each species map the bibliographic and original sources (more than 850 sources are listed) are indicated. A further 83 maps show the distribution of all genera and main species groups of Palearctic reptiles. Beside the checklist and the atlas, in some additional chapters the following arguments are treated: Materials and methods; status of knowledge on the Palearctic fauna; composition of the Western Palearctic reptile fauna (including a statement on biodiversity and species richness); descriptive biogeography (including a discussion on the Palearctic region boundaries based on reptile distribution and the herpeto-geographic sectors of the Western Palearctic); conservation status. A list of more than 730 references quoted in the text and high quality colour plates including photos of the most of the supraspecific taxa living in the study area completes the book.

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Experience with Podarcis dugesii. In the Dutch language terrarium literature there is almost no information available about the Madeira wall lizard, except notes that it is an aggressive species and data on egg incubation. Podarcis dugesii is a very variable lizard with dorsal coloration varying from yellow-brown to black with yellow of greenish speckles. A line of light speckles on a dark background cover the flanks. Three subspecies have been described. In the wild their diet consists of both insect and plant material. In the terrarium they exhibit a clear preference for insects. As regards choice of biotope Podarcis dugesii is not very selective but the animals are usually found in proximity to water. In a large terrarium it is sometimes possible to combine them with other Podarcis species. In the case discussed this occurred with Podarcis sicula campestris. The terrarium holding the animals had a dry/warm and a damper/cooler area. Hibernation lasted 75-110 days at a temperature of 0-8 °C. The eggs, which were not removed from the terrarium, hatched successfully. The young animals were reared away from the parents. The greatest problem with this species is to find new homes for the young produced.

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PCR screening of ticks and tissue samples collected from 151 Teira dugesii lizards seems to indicate a potential role of this lizard species in the maintenance and transmission cycle of some Ixodes ricinus tick-borne agents, such as Rickettsia monacensis, Rickettsia helvetica, and Borrelia lusitaniae, that are circulating on Madeira Island.

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The last species list of the European herpetofauna was published by Speybroeck, Beukema and Crochet (2010). In the meantime, ongoing research led to numerous taxonomic changes, including the discovery of new species-level lineages as well as reclassifications at genus level, requiring significant changes to this list. As of 2019, a new Taxonomic Committee was established as an official entity within the European Herpetological Society, Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH). Twelve members from nine European countries reviewed, discussed and voted on recent taxonomic research on a case-by-case basis. Accepted changes led to critical compilation of a new species list, which is hereby presented and discussed. According to our list, 301 species (95 amphibians, 15 chelonians, including six species of sea turtles, and 191 squamates) occur within our expanded geographical definition of Europe. The list includes 14 non-native species (three amphibians, one chelonian, and ten squamates).

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The Madeiran wall lizard, Teira dugesii (Milne-Edwards, 1829) is an endemic lizard of the Madeiran archipelago and is widely dispersed throughout different environments. The previous reports of morphological variation of T. dugesii within Madeira have not provided clear patterns but prompted this research into sexual and environment-related differences in morphology. For this study, geometric morphometrics (GMM) techniques combined with phenotypic trajectory analysis were applied to investigate the dorsal and lateral head shape morphology of T. dugesii. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were conducted to assess sexual dimorphism within the species and identify if ecological adaptations towards intertidal and terrestrial habitats occurred in the T. dugesii populations across four different localities within Madeira. Sexual dimorphism accounted for the largest proportion of size and shape variation in head morphology. Males exhibited a larger and more robust head shape compared to that of females which displayed relatively more petite and slender head shapes. Intertidal/terrestrial habitats were associated with head shape variation between sexes. Specimens from terrestrial environments also consistently had larger heads compared to intertidal specimens from the same locality. Additionally, phenotypic trajectory analysis revealed habitat differences in head morphology, again supporting parallel phenotypic divergence across localities between lizards from terrestrial and intertidal habitats.

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During a stay in Las Palmas (capital of the island of Gran Canaria) in January 2020, we took the opportunity to search for the introduced population of the Madeira wall lizards (Teira dugesii). After initial difficulties, we were able to take some photographs of these shy animals. Furthermore, we give insights into the very limited and extraordinary habitat of these lizards in the middle of this big city.

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During a stay in Las Palmas (capital of the island of Gran Canaria) in January 2020, we took the opportunity to search for the introduced population of the Madeira wall lizards (Teira dugesii). After initial difficulties, we were able to take some photographs of these shy animals. Furthermore, we give insights into the very limited and extraordinary habitat of these lizards in the middle of this big city.

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In the tortoise Testudo graeca, the lizards Lacerta dugesi and Lacerta pityusensis, and the snake Natrix natrix, the innervation of the testicular interstitial tissue was studied by light and electron microscopy, the acetylcholinesterase (ache) technique, the Falck-Hillarp method for the detection of catecholamines, and the application of 6-hydroxydopamine. The intertubular spaces of the reptilian testes studied contain adrenergic nerve fibers the amount and distribution of which varies considerably both in various species and in various stages of the reproduction cycle. Nerve fibers do not enter the seminiferous epithelium. Fluorescence microscopy of the lizard testis reveals catecholaminergic varicosities which are mainly arranged around blood vessels, but do not show obvious connexions to Leydig cells. Ache-positive fibers are equally distributed in lizard testes surrounding each seminiferous tubule. In Natrix natrix ache-positive fibers are irregularly spread among groups of tubules, without showing a definite relation to Leydig cells either. By electron microscopy bundles of unmyelinated axons and axon terminals can be more easily detected in the testes of immature animals than in adult. Terminals of nerve fibers containing small (400–500 Å in diameter) and large (800–1400 Å) dense-cored vesicles and sometimes small clear vesicles establish contacts with Leydig cells. Three types of contact are described. 1. “Contacts” par distance at a distance of about 2000 Å and basal lamina interposed; 2. membranous contacts having a 200 Å gap only between axolemma and Leydig cell plasmalemma; 3. invaginations of terminals into Leydig cell perikarya. The latter may exhibit surface specialisations, which strongly resemble postsynaptic membrane thickenings. Experiments using 6-hydroxydopamine underline the adrenergic character of testicular nerve fibers, which can be regarded as another example of non-cholinergic, ache-positive neurons. In the testis of the immature tortoise profiles of axons occur which probably represent purinergic, ache-positive neurons.

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The presence of cholinergic nerve terminals was demonstrated in the interrenal gland of the lizards Lacerta dugesi and Lacerta pityusensis. Terminals were more numerous in the subcapsular than in the central zone.

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Chromaffin, small granule-containing (SGC)-cells, neurons and the innervation of these cells was studied in the adrenal gland of three species of reptiles (Testudo graeca, Lacerta dugesi, Natrix natrix). 1. After fixation with glutaraldehyde and osmium-tetroxide adrenaline (A)- and noradrenaline (NA)-storing cells can be distinguished by means of the different electron density of their granules: A-granules are moderately electron-dense, while NA-granules show a core of high electron density. The unusually high electron density of a few A-granules in Testudo occasionally required viewing of unstained sections which facilitated the discrimination of the two cell types in this species. In all species studied NA-granules display a remarkable polymorphism which is most pronounced in the tortoise. In this species A-granules are polymorphic, too. Both types of granules show wide variations in size, which are particularly great in the tortoise. This species also exhibits the largest average sizes for A-granules (285 nm), and NA-granules (354 nm). The corresponding parameters for Lacerta and Natrix, are 255 and 179 nm for A- and 323 and 304 nm for NA-granules, respectively. The rough ER in A- cells of the tortoise regularly occurs in the form of circular dilations (‘ergastosomes’, Kanerva and Hervonen, 1973). Mitochondria sometimes contain longitudinal cristae with a crystalloid internal pattern. Large dense bodies which incorporate granules are abundant in NA-cells. Smaller dense bodies containing a few dense patches and membranes are present in both A- and NA-cells. Intermediate stages between dense bodies and what appear to be A- or NA-granules (if the latter have lost some of their amine-content) are frequently observed. 2. Small granule containing (SGC)-cells are regularly found in the adrenal of reptiles. Their granules have an average size of 146 nm in Testudo (188 and 107 nm in Lacerta and Natrix, respectively). The cells exhibit a high nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio and an electron-lucent cytoplasm. 3. Various types of nerve cell are present in the reptilian adrenal. Small “light” neurons are similar to SGC-cells, but have only few granules, if any. Large “principal” neurons resemble ganglion cells in various autonomic ganglia. According to the morphology of their nuclei and the amounts and distribution of their ER, they may be divided into “light” and “dark” principal neurons. 4. Chromaffin, SGC- and nerve cells are innervated by cholinergic nerve terminals containing small, clear (500–600 Å in diameter) and large, densecored vesicles measuring 730–1340 Å (Testudo). Synapses are usually found on the cell bodies. A-cells in the tortoise which form long processes have their synapses mostly along these processes. A-cell processes are occasionally found in the media of arterioles. Pre- and postsynaptic membrane specialisations are extremely rare on SGC-cells. 5. Adrenergic nerve profiles, which are processes of neither chromaffin nor SGC-cells, may be identified after application of 5- and 6-hydroxydopamine in close proximity of chromaffin cells.

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The arrangement and fine structure of peritubular myoid cells was studied in the testes of three species of reptiles (Lacerta dugesi, Testudo graeca and Natrix natrix) during two short periods of the seasonal cycle (European spring and autumn) and correlated with some ultrastructural properties of Leydig cells. The lamina propria consists of myoid cells, fibroblasts and non-cellular components comprising collageneous and non-striated microfibrils. Both components are arranged in alternating layers surrounding seminiferous tubules. In spring the lamina propria of lacertilian testis shows 1–5 layers of myoid cells which are rich in 50–70 Å filaments and exhibit plasmalemmal and intracellular dense patches, smooth vesicles along the cell membrane and a concentration of organelles in a juxtanuclear position. Leydig cells are rich in smooth ER profiles and have few lipid droplets. In autumn most myoid cells are replaced by fibroblast-like elements. Leydig cells display large numbers of lipid droplets and dense bodies, but only small amounts of agranular ER. Similar changes are noted in Leydig cells of Testudo and Natrix. However, in these species the boundary tissue of seminiferous tubules fails to show significant alterations comparing spring and autumn animals. In both species the lamina propria exhibits a few fibroblast-like cells interspersed among myoid cells.

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Host-gut microbiota interactions are complex and can have a profound impact on the ecology and evolution of both counterparts. Several host traits such as taxonomy, diet and social behavior, and external factors such as prey availability and local environment are known to influence the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the influence of taxonomy, sex, host size, locality/habitat on gut microbiota diversity in five lizard species from two different sites in Portugal. We also analyzed the potential levels of microbial transmission between species that live in sympatry and syntopy. We studied Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis lusitanicus from northern Portugal (Moledo); and two invasive species, Podarcis siculus and Teira dugesii, and the native Podarcis virescens from Lisbon. We used a metabarcoding approach to characterize the bacterial communities from the cloaca of lizards, sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA. Habitat/locality was found to be the main driver of the differences in composition and structure of gut bacterial communities of the studied lizards, with host effects more evident at finer taxonomic scales. Additionally, lizards from urbanized environments had higher microbiome diversity than lizards from rural areas. We detected a significant positive correlation between size and gut bacterial alpha-diversity in the invasive species P. siculus, which could be due to higher exploratory behaviours. Moreover, estimates of bacterial transmission indicate that P. siculus may have acquired a high proportion of local microbiota. These findings indicate that a diverse array of host and environmental factors can influence lizards gut microbiota.

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Host-gut microbiota interactions are complex and can have a profound impact on the ecology and evolution of both counterparts. Several host traits such as systematics, diet and social behavior, and external factors such as prey availability and local environment are known to influence the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. In this study, we investigate the influence of systematics, sex, host size, and locality/habitat on gut microbiota diversity in five lizard species from two different sites in Portugal: Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis lusitanicus, living in syntopy in a rural area in northern Portugal (Moledo); the invasive Podarcis siculus and the native Podarcis virescens, living in sympatry in urbanized environment (Lisbon); and the invasive Teira dugesii also living in an urban area (Lisbon). We also infer the potential microbial transmission occurring between species living in sympatry and syntopy. To accomplish these goals, we use a metabarcoding approach to characterize the bacterial communities from the cloaca of lizards, sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA. Habitat/locality was an important factor explaining differences in gut bacterial composition and structure, with species from urbanized environments having higher bacterial diversity. Host systematics (i.e. species) influenced gut bacterial community structure only in lizards from the urbanized environment. We also detected a significant positive correlation between lizard size and gut bacterial alpha-diversity in the invasive species P. siculus, which could be due to its higher exploratory behavior. Moreover, estimates of bacterial transmission indicate that P. siculus may have acquired a high proportion of local microbiota after its introduction. These findings confirm that a diverse array of host and environmental factors can influence lizards gut microbiota.

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Observation of herpetofauna in Madeira 2015–2016 -- Article report the results of herpetological survey of Portugal islands: Madeira, Porto Santo, Ilhas Desertas and Ilhas Selvagens. The original fauna is represented mainly by sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Chelonia mydas, Lepidochelys kempii, Lepidochelys olivacea), one endemic lizard species Teira dugesii and the gecko Tarentola bischoffi from Ilhas Selvagens. At least four other species have been introduced into the wild and survive freely (Hemidactylus mabouia, Pelophylax perezi, Ramphotyphlops braminus, Tarentola mauritanica), several other species have been introduced unsuccessfully or are reported only from isolated seizures (Agama agama, Hyla meridonalis, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Pantherophis guttatus, Zamenis scalaris) and the remaining species data are considered to be erroneous (Gallotia galloti,Chalcides viridanus). Several species, including those at higher risk of invasive distribution, are kept in captivity on the islands (Graptemys pseudogeographica, Trachemys scripta, Centrochelys sulcata.

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Im August letzten Jahres führte mich eine wissenschaftliche Exkursion zusammen mit Herrn Prof. PUTZER, Duisburg auf den Selvagens Archipel. Zweck der Reise waren Untersuchungen der Bioakkumulation gammastrahlender Radionuklide an marinen und terrestrischen Organismen und herpetologische Untersuchungen an den dort endemischen Teira dugesii selvagensis und Tarentola bischoffi. Da bisher kaum bekannt, sollten den Lesern der „elaphe“ hier die Inseln und ihre Echsen näher vorgestellt werden.

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Freilandbeobachtungen an Teira dugesii selvagensis während zweier Forschungsreisen auf den Ilhas Selvagens in den Jahren 2001 und 2002 werden vorgestellt und mit allgemeinen Informationen über Teira dugesii auf die Inseln ergänzt.

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Dokumentation eines Farbwechsels bei vier Teira dugesii dugesii.

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In diesem Bericht werden die auf einer Wanderreise durch Madeira an Teira dugesii gemachten Beobachtungen beschrieben. Der Lebensraum dieser Eidechse auf der Hauptinsel des Madeira-Archipels wird vorgestellt.