The Madeiran wall lizard (Teira dugesii) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is the only species in the genus Teira. The species is endemic to the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal. In the Azores, this lizard has become naturalized after involuntary introduction by the shipping trade between the two archipelagos. There are four recognized subspecies. The species is both endemic and common, ranging from sea coasts to altitudes of . It is usually found in rocky places or among scrub and may climb into trees. It is also found in gardens and on walls. It feeds on vegetable matter and small invertebrates such as ants. The tail is easily shed and the stump regenerates slowly. The colouring is variable and tends to match the surroundings, typically a shade of brown or grey with occasionally a greenish tinge. Most animals are finely flecked with darker markings. The underparts are white or cream, sometimes with dark spots, with some males having orange or red underparts and blue throats, but these bright colours may fade if the animal is disturbed.[1] The Madeiran wall lizard grows to a snout-to-vent length of about with a tail about 1.7 times the length of its body. Females lay two to three clutches of eggs in a year with the juveniles being about when they hatch.
The specific name, dugesii, is in honor of French physician and naturalist Antoine Louis Dugès.[2]
The Madeiran wall lizard's natural habitats are temperate forests and shrublands, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.
The following four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Teira.
The Madeiran wall lizard grows to a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 8cm (03inches) with a tail about 1.7 times the length of its body. The colouring is variable and tends to match the colour of the animal's surroundings, being some shade of brown or grey with occasionally a greenish tinge. Most animals are finely flecked with darker markings. The underparts are white or cream, sometimes with dark spots, with some males having orange or red underparts and blue throats, but these bright colours may fade if the animal is disturbed.[3] On the island of Madeira, individuals from shingle beaches have been found to be morphologically divergent from adjacent inland individuals from vegetated habitats despite high levels of gene flow.[4] In addition, several genomic loci that appear to be on chromosome 3 appear to show polymorphisms linked to these habitat differences[5]
The Madeiran wall lizard is very common on the island of Madeira where it is the only small lizard, ranging from sea coasts to altitudes of . It is usually found in rocky places or among scrub and may climb into trees. It is also found in gardens and on the walls of buildings. The tail is easily shed and the stump regenerates slowly.[3]
The Madeiran wall lizard feeds on small invertebrates such as ants and also eats some vegetable matter such as bananas.
Adult females of T. dugesii lay two to three clutches of eggs in a year with the juveniles being about 3cm (01inches) when they hatch.[3]
T. dugesii is one of many species that may be parasitized by ticks and can act as a secondary or alternative reservoir for Lyme disease or other tick-borne zoonoses.[6] Large warm-blooded mammals like deer and boar seem to have become the first epidemiologic tank (and/or host) for European ticks.[7]
fr:Edwin Nicholas Arnold
. Field Guide: Reptiles & Amphibians of Britain & Europe . Ovenden . Denys W. . London: Collins & Co. . 2002 . 9780002199643 . 154–155.fr:Edwin Nicholas Arnold
. Ovenden. Denys W.. Denys Ovenden. 2002. London: Collins & Co.. 978-0-00-219964-3. 154–155.