The Guadarrama Wall Lizard (Podarcis guadarramae) is a medium-sized lizard endemic to the granite rocks of the Sistema Central mountain range in Spain and Portugal. It is characterized by a flattened head and slender body, with a coloration that ranges from brown to green and can include dark spots. This species is known for living on rocks and scree, but also occupies sandy areas, and is an egg-laying omnivore that eats insects, fruit, and berries.
Physical characteristics Size: A medium-sized lizard with adult males averaging around \(53.8\) mm in snout-vent length (SVL) and females around \(51.6\) mm.
Coloration: Can range from brown to bright green with dark spots, often with a contrasting pale dorsolateral stripe in males. The belly is typically white, pink, or orange.
Head: Has a distinctively flattened head and an elongated snout. Habitat and distribution Location: Found in the mountain ranges of the Sistema Central, including the Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra de Gredos, and Peña de Francia.Habitat: Primarily inhabits granite rock substrates, scree, and rocky areas, but also lives in sandy areas within pine forests. Behavior and diet Diet: An omnivore that feeds on invertebrates, fruits, and berries.Arboreal activity: While often found on rocks, recent observations show it also climbs trees and shrubs to significant heights, a behavior that is not fully understood.Territoriality: Males are highly territorial.
Reproduction Reproduction: Egg-laying (oviparous).Eggs: Females lay between 3 and 11 eggs, one or two times a year, depending on the summer's duration.
Hatchlings: Growth rates of hatchlings are influenced by the environment they are in, with those in higher altitude, colder, more humid conditions growing faster.
High-altitude populations: Higher altitude populations tend to have a larger clutch size (average 3.5 eggs) compared to lower altitude populations (average 2.5 eggs).
