About Scelarcis perspicillata (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)
The Moroccan rock lizard, with the scientific name Scelarcis perspicillata (Duméril & Bibron, 1839), is a medium-sized, rather flattened lizard species. It reaches a snout-to-vent length of 6 cm (2.4 in), and its tail is approximately 1.7 times as long as its body. Multiple distinct colour forms exist for this species. In Morocco, individuals are usually greyish-brown, and often have two broad, pale stripes running along the back. On Minorca, individuals are buff, grey, or greyish-green, and are densely covered with dark, net-like markings. Across all regions where the species occurs, the tail is often bluish, especially in smaller individuals. This species can be told apart from other similar lizards by the transparent "window" present in its lower eyelid. The underparts of the lizard are white or bluish, and occasional completely dark-coloured individuals occur. The Moroccan rock lizard is distributed in northwestern Africa: it occurs mainly in the mountains of Morocco, and can also be found down to sea level in Algeria. It was first recorded on Minorca in 1928.
