View source for Bedriaga's rock lizard

{{Short description|Species of lizard}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Archaeolacerta bedriagae Corse.jpg
|status = NT
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 16 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Claudia Corti, Marc Cheylan, Roberto Sindaco, Antonio Romano, Patrick Haffner |date=2009 |title=''Archaeolacerta bedriagae'' |volume=2009 |page=e.T61468A12490617 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61468A12490617.en |access-date=16 November 2021}}</ref>
|parent_authority = [[Robert Mertens|Mertens]], 1921
|taxon = Archaeolacerta bedriagae
|authority = ([[Lorenzo Camerano|Camerano]], 1885)
|synonyms = * ''Lacerta oxycephala bedriagae'' <br />{{small|Camerano, 1885}}
* ''Lacerta (Archaeolacerta) bedriagae'' <br />{{small|— [[Robert Mertens|Mertens]], 1921}}
* ''Archaeolacerta bedriagae'' <br />{{small|— [[:fr:Benedetto Lanza|Lanza]] et al., 1984}}
|synonyms_ref=<ref name=RDB>{{EMBL species|genus=Archeolacerta|species=bedriagae}} www.reptile-database.org.</ref>
|range_map=Archaeolacerta bedriagae distribution map.svg
}}
'''Bedriaga's rock lizard''' ('''''Archaeolacerta bedriagae''''') is a [[species]] of [[lizard]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Lacertidae]]. The species is [[monotypic]] within the [[genus]] '''''Archaeolacerta'''''. It is only found on the islands [[Corsica]] and [[Sardinia]]. The scientific name ''Lacerta bedriagae'' is also used. There are three recognized [[subspecies]].
==Etymology==
Both the common name and the [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]], ''bedriagae'', are in honor of [[Russians|Russian]]-born [[Herpetology|herpetologist]] [[Jacques von Bedriaga]].<ref>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}}. (''Archaeolacerta bedriagae'', p. 21).</ref>
==Habitat==
The natural [[habitat]]s of ''A. bedriagae'' are temperate [[forest]]s, temperate [[shrubland]], Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, [[river]]s, rocky areas, pastureland, and rural gardens.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
==Conservation status==
''A. bedriagae'' is threatened by [[habitat loss]].<ref name="iucn status 16 November 2021" /> This rare species is protected by CITES.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
==Description==
Outside the mating season, adults of ''A. bedriagae'' are brownish-grey with a dark, fine-lined net pattern on their backs. The female is browner than the male, and the male in mating season acquires a blue belly, blue loins, and blue dots on the flanks. The netlike pattern seems to turn into a pattern of white dots. Juveniles are discernible by their bright azure blue tails. The adult males can grow to a total length (including tail) of up to {{convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on}}. However most specimen do not get longer than {{convert|25|cm|abbr=on}} in total length.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
==Ecology==
Bedriaga's rock lizard climbs vertical rocks, cliffs, walls and ruins. The species is found in mountainous regions, mostly between {{convert|600|and|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level, but it is also found along the coast, sunbathing near small streams. When frightened, it sometimes tries to escape in the water, and it is a good swimmer. Its diet consists of insects and other small invertebrates. Peculiar to this lizard, it jumps off the ground often to catch flying insects. Most other Lacertidae cannot make high jumps to catch their prey.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
==Subspecies==
Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the [[nominotypical subspecies]].<ref name=RDB/>
*''Archeolacerta bedriagae bedriagae'' {{small|([[Lorenzo Camerano|Camerano]], 1885)}} – Corsica
*''[[Archeolacerta bedriagae paessleri]]'' {{small|([[Robert Mertens|Mertens]], 1927)}} – Sardinia
*''[[Archeolacerta bedriagae sardoa]]'' {{small|([[Mario Giacinto Peracca|Peracca]], 1903)}} – Sardinia
==See also==
*[[List of reptiles of Italy]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
*[[:fr:Edwin Nicholas Arnold|Arnold EN]], Burton JA (1978). ''A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe''. London: Collins. 272 pp. + Plates 1–40. {{ISBN|0-00-219318-3}}. (''Lacerta bedriagae'', p.&nbsp;152 + Map 78).
*[[Lorenzo Camerano|Camerano L]] (1885). "''Monografia dei Sauri italiani'' ". ''Zoologische Anzeiger'' '''8''': 417–419. (''Lacerta oxycephala bedriagae'', new subspecies, p.&nbsp;418). (in Italian).
*[[:fr:Benedetto Lanza|Lanza B]], Cessaraccio G, Malenotti P (1984). "''Note su'' Archaeolacerta bedriagae ''(Camerano) (Reptilia: Lacertidae)''". ''Boll. Soc. Sarda Sci. Nat.'' '''23''': 145–153. (in Italian).
*[[Robert Mertens|Mertens R]] (1921). "''Zur Kenntnis der Reptilienfaunen von Malta'' ". ''Zool. Anz.'' '''53''': 236–240. (in German).
*Mertens R (1927). "''Herpetologische Mitteilungen. XVI. Eine neue Rasse von ''Lacerta bedriagae'' Camerano''". ''Senckenbergiana'' '''8''' (3/4): 178–180. (''Lacerta bedriagae paessleri'', new subspecies). (in German).
*[[Mario Giacinto Peracca|Peracca MG]] (1903). "''Descrizione di una nuova specie del gen. ''Lacerta'' L. di Sardegna''". ''Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della R[egia]. Università di Torino'' '''18''' (458): 1–3. (''Lacerta sardoa'', new species). (in Italian).
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2122191}}
[[Category:Lacertidae]]
[[Category:Fauna of Sardinia]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1885]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Lorenzo Camerano]]
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]]
{{lacertidae-stub}}