The filfola lizard or Maltese wall lizard (''Podarcis filfolensis'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

in the family

Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at about 360 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found ...

. It is found in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

(in the Pelagian Islands) and in the island group of

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores,

arable land Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...

, pastureland, and rural gardens.

''P. filfolensis'' in Malta

In the

Maltese Islands The geography of Malta is dominated by water. Malta is an archipelago of coralline limestone, located in Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea, 81 kilometres south of Sicily, Italy,From Żebbuġ in Malta, coordinates: 36°04'48.2"N 14°15'06.7"E to Ca ...

, there are four

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the Maltese wall lizard, all of which are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

there.

''Podarcis filfolensis'' ssp. ''maltensis''

This subspecies is found on the three main islands:

Gozo Gozo ( ), known in classical antiquity, antiquity as Gaulos, is an island in the Malta#The Maltese archipelago, Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the Malta Island, island of Malta ...

and

Comino Comino () is a small island of the Maltese archipelago between the islands of Malta (island), Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring in area. Named after the cumin seed, the island has a permanent population of only two residents a ...

. It is normally greenish and sometimes speckled.Wildlife of the Maltese Islands, BirdLife Malta and Nature Trust, 1995

''Podarcis filfolensis'' ssp. ''filfolensis''

This subspecies is endemic to the

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...

Filfla Filfla is a mostly barren, uninhabited islet south of Malta (island), Malta, and is the most southerly point of the Maltese Islands, Maltese Archipelago. Filflu (or Filfluu), a rocky islet some southwest of Filfla,

just off the coast of Malta. It is the largest of the four subspecies and is blackish with bluish spots.

''Podarcis filfolensis'' ssp. ''kieselbachi''

This subspecies is endemic to Selmunett, otherwise known as St.Paul's Islands. Its colours vary greatly e.g. brown, grey, etc. with an orange belly and small black spots. The population became extinct in 2005.

''Podarcis filfolensis'' ssp. ''generalensis''

This subspecies is endemic to

Fungus Rock Fungus Rock, sometimes known as ''Mushroom Rock'', and among the Maltese as Il-Ġebla tal-Ġeneral (), is a small islet in the form of a massive lump of limestone at the entrance to an almost circular black lagoon in Dwejra, on the coast of Go ...

(west coast of Gozo). It has a reddish belly and blue-like flanks.

Other subspecies

A fifth subspecies is thought to exist on the island of

Cominotto Cominotto (), sometimes referred to as Cominetto, is an uninhabited Mediterranean island off the northern coast of Gozo, Malta. It is located near the eponymous larger island of Comino and is part of the Maltese archipelago. Measuring in area ...

/Kemunett and another subspecies, ''Podarcis filfolensis'' ssp. ''laurentimulleri'', occurs on the Italian islands of

Linosa Linosa (; ; ) is one of the Pelagie Islands in the Sicily Channel of the Mediterranean Sea. The island is a part of the Italian comune of Lampedusa e Linosa, part of the province of Agrigento in Sicily, Italy. It has a population of 430. Name ...

and

Lampione Lampione (; ; ) is a small rocky island located in the Mediterranean Sea, which belongs geographically to the Pelagie Islands and administratively to the ''comune'' of Lampedusa e Linosa, Province of Agrigento, region of Sicily, Italy. It is abo ...

.Nature in Gozo, BirdLife Malta, 2007

Features and behaviour

Unlike the males, who have bright colours, young lizards and females have somewhat dull coloration (brownish). The Maltese wall lizard usually eats small insects like ants or termites. Males show territorial behaviour. When other males enter its territory, it puffs up and raises its head. A similar behaviour is seen when they attract females. Mating takes place in spring. One or two eggs are laid shortly after, and finally hatch between June and mid-August.

References and sources

*Savona-Ventura C. Taxonomical status of the Maltese wall lizard (''Podarcis filfolensis'' BEDRIAGA 1876). Central Mediterranean Naturalist 2001, 3(3):89-95 *Savona-Ventura C. The herpetofauna of Comino and satellite islets with a note on the colouration of ''Podarcis filfolensis''. Animalia 1983; 10(1/3):87-93 *Savona-Ventura C. The Natural History of St. Paul's Islands - Reptiles and Mammals. Potamon 1983; 11:32-34 *Savona-Ventura C. Reptiles and amphibians in Maltese ecology. Potamon 1979; 1(2):14-16 *Sciberras, A. (2005) Observation on the endangered population of the Maltese wall lizard of Selmunett island (''Podarcis filfolensis kieselbachi'').Unpublished work, presented to the chamber of young scientists of Malta at 4–10 April, winning the contest 1st place and leading to the Belgian Science expo on 26 April to 1 May. *Sciberras, A. (2007) Lizards At Id-Dwejra. Dwejra Heritage Park Gozo pgs.28-33. Dwejra Management Board. *Sciberras, A. & Schembri,P.J. (2008) Conservation Status of St Paul's Island Wall Lizard (''Podarcis filfolensis kieselbachi''). Herpetological Bulletin-Number 105 pgs.28-34. {{Taxonbar, from=Q605475 Podarcis Fauna of Malta Reptiles described in 1876 Endemic fauna of Malta Taxa named by Jacques von Bedriaga Taxonomy articles created by Polbot