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Timon lepidus
The ocellated lizard is one of the largest members of its family, wall lizards. The adult is 30 to 60 cm long and may reach up to 90 cm. About two-thirds of its length is tail. He is a robust lizard with a serrated collar. The male has a characteristic broad head. It has thick, strong legs, with long, curved claws. The dorsal background colour is usually green, but sometimes grey or brownish, especially on the head and tail. This is overlaid with black stippling that may form a bold pattern of interconnected rosettes. The underside is yellowish or greenish. The male is brighter in colour than the female and has blue spots on its flanks; there are fewer or none in the female. Young are green, grey, or brown, with yellowish or white, often black-edged, spots all over. He feeds mainly on large insects, especially beetles, and also robs birds’ nests and occasionally takes reptiles, frogs, and small mammals. It also eats fruit and other plant matter, especially in dry areas.
Rocky terrain in a pine-tree forest. Spotted at La Pedriza, Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, Sierra de Guadarrama.
Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/250 sec. f/8; ISO Speed Rating: 400. Exposure Bias: -1 EV. Focal Length: 300.0 mm.
Spotted on May 4, 2013
Submitted on Jun 9, 2013
1 Comment
I changed the last picture!