Sardão (Timon lepidus)

Biometrics
Length: 15 - 26 cm (up to tail), 30 - 60 cm (with tail)

Ocellated lizard
(Timon lepidus)

Class Reptilia, Order Squamata, Family Lacertidae

General description The ocellated lizard is a robust lizard with a characteristically large head. The general coloring of the lizard is green, but the back can be grey or brown. The back color is overlaid by black dotted patterns. The belly color is yellowish- green and along the sides of the body, the lizard has blue spots (ocelli). In males this coloration is brighter than in females. The tail has the same color as the back and is quite long, reaching twice the length of the body. The paws are robust with long, curved claws at the tips of its toes. Feeding This species feeds mainly on invertebrates. It essentially hunts beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, bees, spiders, centipedes, snails, and slugs. However, their diet may also include other reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, eggs, young birds, and fruits.

Behavior
It is a very fast and elusive lizard, quickly fleeing at the slightest sign of danger. It usually feeds on the ground, but is also an adept climber, climbing trees to catch eggs and young birds, or to escape. It is also capable of digging holes for shelter or using abandoned burrows. In the warmer months, they have two periods of activity: one in the morning and another at the end of the day, remaining inactive during the hottest hours of the day. This lizard, like most others, hibernates during the colder months. When it feels threatened, it can adopt a defensive position, which consists of raising its head and opening its mouth widely, and may bite.

In Portugal
This lizard occurs throughout most of the Iberian Peninsula, except for the islands (Azores and Madeira). Its population density varies depending on the type of habitat, being slightly more abundant in the mountainous and rocky areas of the north, and less abundant in the open areas of the south. It can usually be found in areas with lots of possibility for it to seek refuge, such as shrubs, rocks, walls, and burrows. In general, it can occur both in coastal areas and in scrubland, cultivated areas and woods. One of the main threats to this species is being run over, as lizards in general often use roads to heat up their bodies. Habitat destruction and fragmentation, mainly due to intensive agroforestry activities, are other threats that contribute to the decrease in the occurrence of this species.