About Podarcis milensis (Bedriaga, 1882)
The Milos wall lizard, scientifically named Podarcis milensis (Bedriaga, 1882), is a small Mediterranean lizard species. Its maximum body length reaches 6.5 cm, and its tail is twice the length of its body. This lizard has a sturdy build and a broad head. Males have a distinct appearance characteristic of the species: their back is usually brown, with a faint longitudinal line running down the middle. Their flanks, throat, and the sides of the head are black, marked with spots that can be white, yellow, blue, or light green. Their bellies often have black patterning. Typical females have white stripes along the edges of their back, and distinctive spots on the throat. The Milos wall lizard lives on a small number of Aegean islands in Greece, specifically Milos, Kimolos, Falkonera, Antimilos, and Parapola. It prefers habitats in cultivated lands, where these lizards bask in the sun on banks and piles of stones, and hunt across open ground or among plants. Three subspecies are recognized for this species: Podarcis milensis milensis, Podarcis milensis gerakuniae, and Podarcis milensis schweizeri. Habitat loss is causing the species to become increasingly rare.
