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Aeolian wall lizard

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Aeolian wall lizard
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Podarcis
Species:
P. raffonei
Binomial name
Podarcis raffonei
(Mertens, 1952)
Synonyms[2]

The Aeolian wall lizard (Podarcis raffonei), also known commonly as Raffone's wall lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Italy.

Etymology

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The specific name, raffonei or raffoneae, is in honor of Dr. Antonia Raffone, wife of Dr. Antonino Trischitta. Dr. Trischitta was the collector of the holotype.[3]

Habitat

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The natural habitats of P. raffonei are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and rocky shores.[4]

Geographic range

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There are only four locations hosting P. raffonei, all of them in the Aeolian Islands: the island of Strombolicchio, a small islet off the coast of the nearby island of Salina, another off the coast of the island of Filicudi, and some areas of Vulcano.[4]

Conservation status

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The overall population of P. raffonei is around one thousand specimens distributed on a surface not bigger than 20,000 m2 (.008 mi2). It is believed that once this rare lizard inhabited a larger area, but the competition with the very common Italian wall lizard, introduced by man, reduced its distribution to a smaller area.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Claudia Corti, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Roberto Sindaco, Antonio Romano (2009). "Podarcis raffonei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61552A12514822. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61552A12514822.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Species Podarcis raffonei at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Podarcis raffoneae, p. 215).
  4. ^ a b c Corti C, Pérez-Mellado V, Sindaco R, Romano A (2009). "Podarcis raffonei ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61552A12514822. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61552A12514822.en.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Further reading

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  • Mertens R (1952) "Neue Eidechsenrassen von den Liparischen Inseln ". Senckenbergiana 32 (5/6): 309-314 + Plates 1–2. (Lacerta sicula raffonei, new subspecies, pp. 313–314 + Plate 2, figure 3). (in German).