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Recent analyses of molecular markers have significantly revised the traditional taxonomy of Podarcis species (Squamata: Lacertidae), leading to critically reconsider the taxonomic value of several subspecies described only on morphological bases. In fact, lizards often exhibit high morphological plasticity both at the intra-specific and the intra-population level, especially on islands, where phenotypic divergences are mainly due to local adaptation, rather than to evolutionary differentiation. The Common wall lizard Podarcis muralis exhibits high morphological variability in biometry, pholidosis values and colour pattern. Molecular analyses have confirmed the key role played by the Italian Peninsula as a multi-glacial refuge for P.muralis, pointing out the lack of congruence between mitochondrial lineages and the four peninsular subspecies currently recognized. Here, we analyse a portion of the protein-encoding cytochrome b gene in the seven subspecies described for the Tuscan Archipelago (Italy), in order to test whether the mitochondrial haplotypes match the morphologically based taxonomy proposed for Common wall lizard. We also compare our haplotypes with all the others from the Italian Peninsula to investigate the presence of unique genetic lineages in insular populations. Our results do not agree completely with the subspecific division based on morphology. In particular, the phylogenetic analyses show that at least four subspecies are characterized by very similar haplotypes and fall into the same monophyletic clade, whereas the other three subspecies are closer to peninsular populations from central Italy. From these results, we conclude that at least some subspecies could be better regarded as simple eco-phenotypes; in addition, we provide an explanation for the distinctiveness of exclusive lineages found in the archipelago, which constituted a refuge for this species during last glacial periods.

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Non-native wall lizards in Germany – Dispersal, legal framework, and recommendations for management
There are naturally two subspecies of the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in Germany: P. m. brongniardii in southwestern Germany and P. m. maculiventris-West only in the Inn Valley of Bavaria on the border with Austria. Of both lineages, numerous allochthonous (not native to the locality) occurrences are found scattered throughout Germany. The recognition characteristics of this lineages as well as of another frequently introduced lineage (Venetian lineage) are presented.
In the natural range, dispersals of individual populations were observed; shifts of the range margins did not occur. Known occurrences of alien wall lizards are spreading rapidly. The currently northernmost known occurrence is located at 53.37 °N at a dike culvert (Siel) in the North of Winsen (Luhe). Currently, at least one occurrence is known from 153 TK25 quadrants.
Wall lizards are only strictly protected in their native range, otherwise the regulations for non-native species apply. Non-native wall lizards are considered invasive, and allochthonous and hybrid populations should never be translocated. From a nature conservation perspective, measures to contain and control allochthonous populations seem to be necessary. Recommendations on how to manage non-native wall lizards are presented; these have already been created by the federal states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate .

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In the Cologne area, wall lizards (Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768)) have mainly spread along the railway belt and its offshoots into industrial areas. These lizards can mainly be identified as the subspecies Podarcis muralis maculiventris (Werner, 1891), obviously belonging to the West Alps mitochondrial gene group, which normally occurs around the Italian great lakes area on the southern rim of the Alps and is differentiated from the Venetian line by the presence of a blackish vertebral line or row of spots. The original point of introduction cannot be verified with certainty; they may have been introduced with Italian vegetables into the vegetable market in the south of left-bank Cologne; early reports on a first introduction into right-bank Deutz harbour along with building materials, especially stones and marbles from Italy, cannot be ascertained today, as the immediate harbour area does not have any lizards, and lizards occuring on railway tracks south of the southern tip of the harbour may have arrived from the tracks near the vegetable market. On the left bank of the Rhine, a few lizards show the colouration of Podarcis muralis nigriventris Bonaparte, 1836 from Tuscany, viz. dorsally and laterally a strong blackish pattern on a green basic coulour in males and a dense black spotting on throat and vent in both sexes. It cannot be ascertained whether the hybridization with the prevalent maculiventris-type has occurred already in an area of intergradation in Northern Italy or after deplacement of both types in the Cologne area. These hybrid lizards have been found on the left bank of the Rhine in Cologne and just south of the city which indicates a late arrival of the (pure or hybridized) Tuscany genome. On the right bank of the Rhine the colouration of the P.m. nigriventris type is even rarer and, if existing at all, is usually dorsally reduced to a yellow spotting. The North Italian lizards may have met with wall lizards of the German subspecies Podarcis muralis brongniardii (Daudin, 1802), Eastern mitochondrial gene group, which were transported into the area from the lower Middle Rhine valley, where they have resp. have had their traditional northern range limit in Bonn, some 30 km south of Cologne. It seems that hybridization between maculiventris and brongniardii has mainly occurred on the right bank of the Rhine at Gremberghoven. The North Italian lizards have spread from southern left-bank Cologne southwards into the Cologne suburbs and into northern parts of Bonn (near its northern railway tracks). Bonn Botanical Garden has a population of the indigeneous German line; the founder animals have deliberately been introduced from the Ahr valley, the Ahr being a left-bank contributary to the Rhine river. South of the Botanical Garden, the left bank of the Rhine has thin populations of the indigeneous line as well. Wall lizards from the southeastern right-bank Cologne have spread southwards down to Troisdorf. The connection of the Troisdorf populations with Cologne populations has been interrupted by the recent upgrading of the railway tracks. Further south, the indigeneous wall lizard has a spotty distribution at its northern range limit.

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Almost all species of Amphibians and Reptiles of Central Italy occur in the Tolfa mountains (Civitavecchia, Latium). This is one of the most interesting areas in the whole of Italy as far as the herpetofauna is concerned. It lies not far from Rome and its conservation state is satisfactory; both these facts have favoured and enabled some experimental studies of eco-ethology on such mountains since 1964. The A. describes the species and subspecies of Amphibians and Reptiles recorded in this area, adding some information on their chorology, biology, taxonomy, history and zoogeograph.

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The ecological correlates of dorsal colour pattern polymorphism were studied along the transition zone between two supposed subspecies ( = colour pattern types in this article) of the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, in a hilly area of Latium, Central Italy. In this area two supposed subspecies, i.e. P. m. brueggemanni and P. m. nigriventris, are known to occur. Lizards were studied along 500 m long transects within three different habitat types, i.e. wood, wall, and bushy pasture. A total of 279 adult lizards (154 males, 125 females) were examined. Three colour morphs were observed at each site, i.e. brueggemanni type (brown-green upper parts), nigriventris type (black-green upper parts), and a colour morph intermediate between the two. The distribution and abundance of brueggemanni and nigriventris colour morphs was clearly non-random across habitat types: brueggemanni was abundant in walls and bushy pastures, and nigriventris in wood. To explain the observed pattern we tested the hypothesis of a differential predation exposure by the various colour morphs in different habitats by analysing the differences between colour morph frequencies of lizards with intact tail and with broken/regenerated tail in the various habitats of the study area. Our analysis would not support the differential predation-risk hypothesis, because the frequency of individuals with broken tails was very similar in the three colour morphs among different habitats.

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Between 1972 and 2002 the author visited regularly the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano, ascertaining the presence of 23 autochthonous (eight amphibians, two turtles, six lizards and seven snakes) and of one allochthonous (Testudo graeca) amphibian and reptile species. Their ecology and behaviour is the subject of the present contribution. Feeding. Studies on feeding have shown the trophic roles played by the different snake species to be complementary. In Castelporziano several snake species often assemble in one same site suitable for laying eggs, shedding skin, hibernating and estivating; this facilitates the egg/young eating habits of Hierophis viridifl avus, mostly at the expenses of Elaphe quatuorlineata. With the exception of Zamenis longissimus all the main snake species of the estate have been found in these sites, included Vipera aspis. Current examples of these sites are Ponte delle Rogare on the Coastal Road and the Depuratore (water purifi cation plant). Reproduction. The presence of very young Hierophis viridifl avus, Coronella austriaca and Vipera aspis in July is reported, in the fi rst case owing to precocious ovulations induced by endocrine modifi cations, released, in their turn, by autumnal matings. One such mating has been observed by the author in the locality Riserva Chiesola. Elaphe quatuorlineata showed a monogamic tendency; it seems that particular hormone conditions induce the females of these species to keep in proximity of their eggs up to september-october when they shed their skin, wich is generally sinchronous with the hatchings. This would seem to guarantee a protection against oophagic predators. Predators. A severe selective pressure on turtle eggs (both aquatic and terrestrial) by a specifi c predator (probably Martes martes) is reported. A bird of prey (probably Buteo buteo) seems to be responsible of the serious damages noticed on the head of a number of Elaphe quatuorlineata specimens. Morphology. The presence of black or very dark specimens of Zamenis longissimus is reported; lack of the superfi cial yellow pigment allows the appearance of the underlying melanophores. Such phenotypes have been found mostly in the wet area south east of Torpaterno. Their offspring are chromatically similar to the parents. The longest snake found was an Elaphe quatuorlineata _ exceeding 206 cm. Population status. Since the middle of the 80’s various types of human induced habitat changes in the estate heavily reduced the amphibian and the reptile populations. Coronella girondica and Natrix tessellata are probably extinct, Testudo hermanni, Chalcides chalcides, Coronella austriaca and Zamenis longissimus show clear signs of decline.

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In einer retrospektiven Durchsicht des Datenmaterials von 41 zeckenbefallenen Eidechsen zeigt sich in der Paarungszeit bei männlichen Tieren eine deutlich höhere Zeckenlast als bei weiblichen. Außerhalb der Paarungszeit ist die Zeckenlast bei beiden Geschlechtern annähernd gleich. Der Unterschied wird erklärt durch die höhere Bewegungsaktivität von Männchen in der Paarungszeit im Vergleich zu Weibchen. Dadurch sind Männchen einem höheren Risiko ausgesetzt, auf wirtsuchende Zecken zu treffen.

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Während eines Aufenthaltes in einem ehemaligen Gutshof aus dem 18. Jahrhundert, ca. 20 km nordwestlich von Siena, Ende August 2019 konnte ich die dort siedelnden Podarcis muralis nigriventris und P. siculus campestris beobachten. Podarcis muralis war ubiquitär mit einer Präferenz der Höhe (Mauern aller Art, Eichenstämme, Hecken) zu beobachten, während sich P. siculus bodennah (Rasenflächen, Parkplätze, Böschungen) auf Stein- und Holzstrukturen aufhielt und allenfalls kniehohe Mauern besetzte. Bevorzugt setzte P. siculus Kot auf isolierten Steinstrukturen ab. In Analogie zu den experimentellen Untersuchungen an P. melliselensis von BAECKENS et al. (2019) könnte dieses Verhalten der innerartlichen Kommunikation dienen.

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In Stuttgart there is a strikingly broad phenotypic heterogeneity of common wall lizards, giving rise to the suggestion that the various locations are occupied by alien common wall lizards of different origins. Hence we investigated important sites where such lizards occur in the period between 2007–2010. The purpose of our investigations was to gather data on the genetic origins of Stuttgart’s common wall lizards. We took tissue samples from twenty animals and determined their haplotypes by means of mtDNA analysis. We found that western city quarters are inhabited by P. m. maculiventris (Western or synonymously Southern Alps lineage) and central city quarters by P. m. brongniardii/merremius (Eastern France lineage, normal type). In the Neckar valley there is a series of mixed populations of these haplotypes and in addition of P. m. brongniardii/merremius (Eastern France lineage, Languedoc type), P. m. maculiventris (Eastern or synonymously Venetian lineage) and of P. m. nigriventris (Tuscany lineage). We present the history of introduction and the dynamics of secondary expansion based on the information available to us. Where respective data is missing we offer and discuss hypotheses on these issues.

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Remarks on Common Wall Lizards Podarcis muralis s.l. (LAURENTI, 1768) in northwestern districts of the city of Stuttgart, Germany
Tendencies of their expansion and hybridizations, effects on populations of the Sand Lizard Lacerta agilis LINNAEUS, 1758 and considerations for managing alien Wall Lizards

We report occurrences of the Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis s.l.) in the previously uninvestigated city districts of Feuerbach, Weilimdorf and Botnang in northwestern Stuttgart, Germany. New insights on known occurrences in adjacent city districts, already reported by DEICHSEL (2011) and SCHULTE et al. (2008, 2011), are added. With no exception, Stuttgart occurrences of P. m. brongniardii of the Eastern-France lineage, P. m. maculiventris-West of the Southern-Alps lineage, and P. m. nigriventris of the Tuscany lineage, and hybrids of these lineages with each other, are alien. In accordance with SCHULTE et al. (2021), BLANKE & LORENZ (2019), and with Flora-Fauna-Habitat Guidelines of the European Commission (February 2007), we urgently discourage the translocation of alien Wall Lizards in Stuttgart. The expansion potential and assertiveness of these alien animals may be detrimental to ecosystems, and sequelae cannot be corrected.

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Mit dieser Bildserie wollen wir die Diversität von Hybriden der Mauereidechse veranschaulichen und deutlich machen, dass die Beurteilung der Hybridstatus von Mauereidechsen aufgrund phänotypischer Merkmale allein schwierig und oft nur spekulativ möglich ist.

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With this series of images we want to demonstrate the diversity of hybrids of the Common Wall Lizard, stressing that an assessment of the hybrid statuses of Wall Lizards based on phenotypic characteristics alone is difficult and often only possible in a speculative way.

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In 2013, an allochthonous green-backed common wall lizard was recorded in Saarland near Beckingen. In 2014, at least two comparable individuals were documented near Mendig in the Rhineland-Palatinate. Then in 2022 in a basalt open pit mine in the eastern Eifel, the lead author found a green-backed individual as well as an autochthonous wall lizard with a striking turquoise ground colouration. The green-backed individuals can be phenotypically referred to as of the subspecies Podarcis muralis maculiventris-East / P m. nigrivenfris (central Italian lineage), which is allochthonous in Germany. However, since no genetic analyses were performed in these three areas, the allocation of subspecies status to the records is not certain and therefore can only be referred to as of the phenotypic type. In all three areas, the occurrences are presumably due to accidental importation or deliberate release.

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Several recent papers have reviewed the life and work of French herpetologist Louis Amédée Lantz. They have detailed the composition of his collections deposited in several museums. However, since then, several other important specimens from his collections deposited at the Natural History Museum (NHM, UK) have come to light and we here present all of them in detail. We discovered paralectotypes of Lacerta saxicola obscura Lantz & Cyrén (BMNH 1918.11.21.5–7), syntypes of Lacerta boemica Sukhov (BMNH 1960.1.4.26–30, BMNH 1965.337–342) and Lacerta viridis media Lantz & Cyrén (BMNH 1960.1.4.25, 1966.512). We also identified numerous specimens from the French Mediterranean islands in Lantz’s collection deposited at the NHM, some of which represent the first reported specimens of their species from certain islands. We here provide data on all these specimens. We also place the Mediterranean island specimens from the Lantz collection in their historical context and emphasize the historical and taxonomic value of these collections.

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The husbandry, propagation, and raising of juveniles of the Northwest Italien Wall Lizard, Podarcis muralis nigriventris BONAPARTE, 1838, is described, providing all relevant details from two years of captive rate.

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ventaire exhaustif des espèces indigènes et naturalisées, présentes e n France et au Benelux : 85 taxons, relevant de 72 espèces, sont cités, mais deux autre s taxons, dont le statut reste à définir, sont mentionnés au n os 31 (Rana esculenta) et a u n° 53 (Podarcis muralis) et huit autres au n` 56 (Podarcis muralis tiliguerta) de l`inven- taire. On signale les zones à prospecter par priorité et les problèmes taxonomiques à résoudre d`urgence . Les aires sont définies par rapport aux provinces ou aux départements : des cartes d`aire provisoires, en France, sont données pour 33 taxons. En ce qui concerne la liste des taxons relatifs à la France, les modifications suivante s sont à noter : 1°) taxons admis : Triturus alpestris apuanus, Acanthodactylus erythrurus cf. erythru- rus, Lacerta agilis garzoni, Podarcis hispanica hispanica, Podarcis muralis merremia , Vipera latastei latastei, Vipera seoanei ; 2.) deux intergrades de Salamandra salamandra sont retenus : 30) taxons refusés : Rana iberica, Coronella austriaca fitzingeri, Natrix tessellata tessellata ; 4.) tombent en synonymie les deux taxons suivants : Podarcis muralis occidentalis (= P. m. muralis) et P. m. calbia (= P. m. oyensis). En outre, liste des espèces introduites, liste des espèces citées par erreur et list e des taxons à rechercher . Quelques données inédites concernent le nord de l`Espagne .

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The variability in behavioural syndromes at different scale levels (e.g., within population or among species) is relevant in ecological and evolutionary patterns. It provides the basis on which natural selection can act to promote evolutionary processes. Additionally, behavioural syndromes can be seen as a form of pre-adaptation, favouring a species’ ability to cope with novel selective pressures, establish in new habitats, enhancing population stability, and dealing with deseases and parasites. We assessed repeatability (two replicates for individual) for five behavioural traits (activity, boldness including components of exploration and escape, sociability, and foraging activity) and tested the occurrence of behavioural syndromes in both sexes of three taxa of lacertid lizards: two clades of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis maculiventris and P. m. nigriventris), and the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus). All behavioural traits except sociability were repeatable in all the three taxa. Our findings clearly reveal the occurrence of a behavioural syndrome related to the propensity to move through and explore new enviroments, escape from predation risk, and successfully capture prey. We also provide empirical evidence for higher repeatability of behaviours in males compared to females, as well as differences in behavioural syndromes at the taxon-level. These results support the occurrence of personality in both common and Italian wall lizards, highlighting marked variability in personality across different scales. This variability could ultimately reflect the interaction between the specific needs inherent in both sexes within each species, and the environmental/competitive context in which these needs are fulfilled.

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Biological invasions represent ideal systems for the study of evolutionary processes associated with colonization events. It has been hypothesized that the genetic diversity is generally decreasing from the centre of the range to the margins due to multiple founder events. Invasive populations offer the opportunity to test this hypothesis at a fine spatial and temporal scale. We analysed the genetic structure of a large expanding non-native population of the Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) in Passau (Germany) using thirteen microsatellite loci. We analyzed the genetic structure and levels of admixture across a transect reflecting the expansion process and tested for a loss of genetic diversity and an increase of genetic differentiation from the centre to the invasion front. Our results demonstrate that significant genetic population structure can emerge rapidly at a small spatial scale. We found a trend for an increase in genetic differentiation and a decrease in genetic diversity from the invasion centre to the expanding range margin, suggesting that genetic drift is the major factor causing this pattern. The correlation between genetic diversity and average genetic differentiation was significant among sites. We hypothesize that the territoriality of P. muralis generates sufficient rates of noncontiguous and stratified dispersal from longer established sites to maintain significant genetic diversity at the invasion front. Simultaneously, territoriality might restrict the colonization success of migrants at established sites, so that in combination with founder events a strong differentiation arises.

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Beschrieben wird die Reptilienfauna der Toskana (Italien). Zwei Schildkröten-, acht Echsen- und acht Schlangenarten kommen dort vor. Die Verfasser konnten einige von ihnen auf einer Exkursion im Frühjahr 1982 beobachten. Lebensräume und Verbreitung der Arten werden beschrieben.

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During a city trip to Rome from 12.08.-16.08.2010, some herpetological observations could be made. In addition to the lacertid lizards Podarcis siculus siculus and Podarcis muralis nigriventris some specimens of the Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) as well as an individual of the Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) were found.