Ionian lizard (Podarcis ionicus)
Stellagama stellio stellio
It looks like a snake (and it’s in trouble) but it’s a legless lizard. This means it has eyelids and auditory openings, unlike snakes which are deaf. It looks like a cone but can be easily distinguished because of the lateral groove that starts from the auditory opening and ends in the cloaca. Total length up to 150cm, but usually shorter. It lives and moves during the day mainly on the ground, but it can also climb dense bushes. It feeds mainly on invertebrates, but also on small rodents or reptiles. It mates in spring and females lay 6-12 eggs which hatch in late summer. The small ones are 10-12cm long. When startled it moves quickly trying to escape making a lot of noise.
