A medium or large sized lizard; it is elongated (up to 32 cm of total length head-tail) and has a robust appearance. The tail stands out, as it is extremely long, being able to reach almost double the body length (9 cm versus 23 cm). The head is not really distinguished from the body. The skin of the body (on the back and on the neck) is covered with keeled scales (that is a differential character: the scales have a protruding longitudinal mid-line, like the keel of a ship). The colour is greenish brown, with two striking lateral lines on the back of yellow or white and bluish ocellis on the sides. The ventral area is clear or creamy, while the tail and legs are usually orange. Rutting males exhibit orange colour on the head's sides and the throat whereas the females are yellow. Young specimens have a pattern similar to adults, although the orange colour of the hind legs and tail is usually more intense.
It is a wooded species with preference for forest and scrub areas. It appears both in pine forests and in deciduous or meadows areas. It prefers holm-oak woods. It is also present in dunes and coastal sand areas, provided that there is enough scrub. In agricultural lands, it stays in boundaries or islands with natural vegetation.
It is an animal with daytime habits, although it also has some nocturnal activity in the summer. They are usually active from February to October, although during the cold months it is frequent on sunny days, especially young individuals. It mainly moves through the litter, on the ground, although it can climb very well and rise the bushes. It feeds on a variety of small invertebrates hunting them both actively and waiting. It uses its ear to detect insects among leaf litter, as well as the vomeronasal organ (or Jacobson organ) to detect chemical signals.
The mating period lasts from spring to early summer. During this period the intensity of the male’s colour increases, in addition to displaying an orange tone on the sides of the head and on the throat. These changes respond to an increase in testosterone levels that allow and facilitate pairing. After mating, the females perform two (rarely three) layings of 2 to 11 eggs that they bury in the ground. Large baby psammodromus lizards hatch between August and October, reaching sexual maturity after the first year of its life.
Psammodromus algirus, known commonly as the Algerian psammodromus, the Algerian sand racer, and the large psammodromus, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to western Europe and northwestern Africa.
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