Lacerta sp. Mikri Prespa, GR

[Mario Schweiger]

Hello,

the lizard, Lacerta sp. I have photographed on June 17th 2008 near Plati.
This village is at the northeast end of the Mikri Prespa lake, very close to the Macedonian border.

What do think, it is? Sure, its no L. agilis! But, Lacerta viridis or Lacerta trilineata?

Lacerta sp.

Lacerta sp.

Please justify your statements!
Thanks, Mario

[Francesco Tri]

This sample is a Lacerta viridis, because the number of temporal scales seems to me to be small compared to that of Lacerta trilineata

[Peter F. Keymar]

Hi Mario
For me there is no doubt: L trilineata - vermiculation on the head, bright yellow belly and as I calculate from the plants in the pictures too big for a viridis
Abeit in nearby Albania the animals are the same there are DNA samples and roadkills in my collection.
What is Werners opinion??
Greetings Peter

[Vlad Cioflec]

+1 for trilineata

[Peter Oefinger]

Hi Mario,
according to the photos at Lacerta.de and herpetofauna.at, this specimen seems to be L. trilineata
But to be serious: it has a stronger back pattern than other trilineatas but the whole appearance, bold head, throat colour looks like trilineata.
Regards

[Francesco Tri]

Ok, ok: is trilineata "errare umanum est"

lacerta bilineata/viridis

[Mario Schweiger]

OK, thanks for all your opinions!

For sure, the lizard above has been a male!

..... and here, two pics of a female from (nearly) the same place

Lizard sp. female

Lizard sp. female

it should be the same species! The only other Lacertidae we found there was Podarcis tauricus!

Mario

[Mario Schweiger]

Both specimens are Lacerta viridis!

What we are learning from things like this:
We know that we know nothing!

[Ilian Velikov]

What we are learning from things like this:
We know that we know nothing!

That' for sure! If we knew everything we wouldn't be still studying animals and it wouldn't be interesting at all!
..But why do you think they are L.viridis? Supraciliaria granules? (I just saw these don't have them,too)

[Mario Schweiger]

Very simple answer => DNA (mitochondrial and nucleus)