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Zootoca vivipara



Common lizard - Zootoca vivipara - Jacquin, 1787
The common lizard - Zootoca vivipara (formerly Lacerta vivipara) is one of the most widely distributed Eurasian species, this species being the only lacertid that has both oviparous and viviparous populations.

Description:
Total length is 12-15 (rarely 17) cm in males and up to 18 cm in females; tail length, 6 to 11 cm. Zootoca vivipara is a robust lizard with short limbs, thick neck and tail and the head is rather blunt and rounded; dilated masseteric region; toothed collar; without supraciliar granules; large femoral pores. The scales on the back are long, narrow, and hexagonal. The tail has large and strong keeled scales. The plates of the belly are in six rows, with two small marginal series; the preanal plate is bordered by two rows of scales.
The common lizard is extremely variable in color and patterning. Adults are gray or dark-brownish but also can be yellowish, reddish, olive-brown with small clear spots, which may form longitudinal series or dark designs. They have stripes of darker markings passing along the back, which are often bordered with white or yellow. Males are often with a black stripe along the spine and a dark lateral stripe or a dark band bordered with yellowish, orange or brownish. Dorsally, females are more stained with black, yellow or orange to red-brown. Ventrally, the males are orange or yellow stained with black, females having paler, whitish underparts sometimes slightly stained with black. In addition to the differences in belly color, the male lizard can also be distinguished from the female by its much larger head, slender body, and by the possession of a prominent swelling at the base of the tail.
The young at birth, are brown-blackish or almost black on the back side, uniform or with yellow spots and ventrally are dark gray. Totally brown or black forms occasionally arise in both sexes.

Biology:
Depending on latitude and altitude of inhabited area, the common lizard emerges from hibernation by March - April. Females usually appear in 6 - 9 days to 2 - 3 weeks after males, depending on physical and climatic environmental parameters. Mating takes places between April and May. In most areas the female gives birth to between 3 and 11 fully formed young in July. The young are born in a transparent membrane that breaks either during birth or soon afterwards. In northern Spain, adjacent France, Austria, Italy and Slovenia, the female lays between one and 13 eggs in a single clutch.
So, in the northern portion of the range and at high altitude it is viviparous and in the southern range it is oviparous. They are capable for reproduction after two years.
In northern regions common lizards begin hibernation in September or October, underground in burrows, under tree roots, or under bark or log piles.
It feeds on small invertebrates, insects, spiders, earthworms.
This reptile is often found sunning itself between spring and autumn. Also, during summer, the pregnant female may be discovered basking in the direct rays of the sun.

Habitat:
This species is found in a wide variety of habitats including grassland, meadows, humid scrubland, hedgerows, open woodland, woodland edges, moorland, heaths, peat bogs, coastal areas (sea cliffs and sand dunes), dry stone walls and embankments. It hides under stones, roots, logs, bark of trees, holes.
In its southern range this species lives at high elevations, occurring up to 3000 meters. In these areas the common lizard prefers the damp places, including meadows, swamps and damp forests. In its northern part of the range common lizard is found in lowlands, where lives in drier environments, including open woodland, moorland, meadows, rocks, fens and dunes.

Distribution:
The common lizard is one of the most widely distributed Eurasian species and ranges from much of northern, western, central and Eastern Europe, across most of northern Asia to Arctic Russia, China, Sakhalin Island and Japan (Hokkaido Island). In Europe it occurs throughout Britain and Ireland, and most of Scandinavia, its the southern limit running through central France, southeastern Austria, northern Italy, along the Dinaric Alps (in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and northern Albania), western Hungary , western, southern and central Romania, northern Moldova, and central Ukraine. Isolated populations occur in northern Spain and southwestern France, and also in Serbia, western Bulgaria and extreme northeastern and northwestern Macedonia.
Oviparous populations were found in the extreme south-western part of the species area, in the Pyrenean mountains, in Aquitaine in southwest France, and in northwest Spain (Lantz, 1927; Brana and Bea, 1987; Heulin, 1988). Recently the same populations were described from Slovenia, Lower Austria (Carinthia), and Italy (Böhme et al., 1999; Heulin et al., 2000; Mayer et al., 2000).

Range (on countries):
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

Scientific name: Zootoca vivipara

Common name: common lizard

Taxonomy:
Species: Zootoca vivipara
Subspecies: Zootoca vivipara vivipara (Jacquin, 1787)
Zootoca vivipara carniolica (Mayer et al., 2000)
Zootoca vivipara louislantzi (Arribas, 2009)
Zootoca vivipara pannonica (Lac & Kluch, 1968),
Zootoca vivipara sachalinensis (Pereleshin & Terentjev, 1963)

IUCN Status: LC (Least Concern)
Zootoca vivipara is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
This species is listed on Annex II of the Bern Convention, and on Annex IV of the European Union Habitat and Species Directive. It is protected by national legislation in some range countries (e.g., Switzerland). It occurs in many protected areas.
This species is locally threatened in parts of its range by habitat loss resulting from agricultural intensification, urbanization and development of tourism facilities.

References:
Arnold, E.N. 2003. Reptiles and amphibians of Europe. Princeton University Press., Princeton and Oxford;
Arribas, O.J. 2009. Morphological variability of the Cantabro-Pyrenean populations of Zootoca vivipara (JACQUIN, 1787) with description of a new subspecies. Herpetozoa 21 (3/4): 123-146;
Boulenger, George A. 1890. A list of the reptiles and batrachians of Amoorland [Russia] Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 5: 137-144;
Council of Europe. 2003. Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. Group of experts on the conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles. Mälmo (Sweden), 26-27 September 2003. Report T-PVS (2003) 18.
Covaciu-Marcov S.-D., Sas, I.; Cicort-Lucaciu A.-St.; Achim, A. & Andritcu, A. 2005. THE HERPETOFAUNA OF TA?S?NAD HILLS (SATU-MARE COUNTY, ROMANIA). Analele S?tiint?ifice ale Universita?t?ii "Al.I. Cuza" Ias?i, s. Biologie animala?, Tom LI: 159-168;
Covaciu-Marcov, S.D., Cicort-Lucaciu, A.S., Dobre, F., Feren?i, S., Birceanu, M., Mihu?, R. & Str 2009. The herpetofauna of the Jiului Gorge National Park, Romania. North-Western Journal of Zoology 5 (Suppl. 1): 1-78;
Covaciu-Marcov, S.D., Cicort-Lucaciu, A.S., Sas, I.; Mosu, A.G.; Toth, B. 2008. Contributions to the knowledge of the composition and geographical distribution of the Western Maramures County Herpetofauna. Herpetologica Romanica 2: 27-36;
Covaciu-Marcov, S.D., Cicort-Lucaciu, A.S., Feren?i, S. & David, A. 2008. The distribution of lowland Zootoca vivipara populations in North-Western Romania. North-Western Journal of Zoology 4 (1): 072-078;
Fuhn, I. & S. Vancea, 1961: Fauna Republicii Române, 14. Reptilia (Testoase, Sopârle, Serpi). Bucuresti;
Gasc, J.-P., A. Cabela, J. Crnobrnja-Isailovic, D. Dolmen, K. Grossenbacher, P. Haffner, J. Lescure, H. Martens, J.P. Martinez-Rica, H. Maurin, M.E. Oliveira, T.S. Sofianidou, M. Veith & A. Zuiderwijk, 1997: Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe. - Societas Europaea Herpetologica und Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle (IEGB/SPN), Paris;
IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. ;
Kupriyanova, Larissa A.; Werner Mayer & Wolfgang Bo?hme 2006. Karyotype diversity of the Eurasian lizard Zootoca vivipara (Jacquin, 1787) from Central Europe and the evolution of viviparity. Herpetologica Bonnensis II: 67-72;
Lindtke, D., W. Mayer & W. Böhme 2010. Identification of a contact zone between oviparous and viviparous common lizards (Zootoca vivipara) in central Europe: reproductive strategies and natural hybridization. Salamandra 46 (2): 73-82;
Mayer, W. , W. Böhme, F. Tiedemann & W. Bischoff 2000. On viviparous populations of Zootoca vivipara (Jacquin, 1787) in south-eastern Central Europe and there phylogenetic relationship to neighbouring viviparous and South-west European oviparous populations (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae). Herpetozoa 13 (1/2): 59-69;
Szczerbak, N.N. 2003. Guide to the Reptiles of the Eastern Palearctic. Krieger, Malabar, FL, 260 pp.;
Sos, T. 2008. Review of recent taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in European Amphibia and Reptilia related to Romanian herpetofauna. Herpetologica Romanica 2: 61-91;
V. F. Orlova, V. N. Kuranova,and N. A. Bulakhova: Some aspects of reproductive biology of Zootoca vivipara (Jacquin, 1787) in the asian part of its area, Herpetologia Petropolitana, Ananjeva N. and Tsinenko O. (eds.), pp. 201 - 204



 

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