Iberolacerta cyreni (Müller & Hellmich, 1937)

Size

Iberolacerta cyreni, commonly called the rock lizard, reaches up to 8 cm (3.1 in) in snout-to-vent length, and up to 24 cm (9.4 in) when including the tail.

Reproductive Competition

In this species, males are believed to compete for females.

Male Selection Pressures

In this competitive dynamic, larger lizards gain greater reproductive success, so selection favors larger overall body sizes and larger structures used for combat, such as the head.

Female Selection Pressures

Females, by contrast, carry developing offspring, so selection pressures related to clutch volume or clutch size favor larger abdomen sizes.

Sexual Dimorphism

This results in males having larger head sizes than females, while females have longer abdomens than males.

Base Coloration

I. cyreni may be brown, or brown with a green undertone.

Body Markings

It has dark brown spots aligned vertically along the full length of its body.

Distinguishing Features

It can be told apart from other western Iberian rock lizards by the absence of blue eye-shaped marks called ocelli on its shoulders.

Genus Habitat Range

Lizards of the genus Iberolacerta live in mountainous areas of the Western Mediterranean region.

Species Endemic Range

I. cyreni is endemic to central mountain ranges of Spain: the Sierra del Guadarrama, Sierra de Gredos, Sierra de Bejar, and La Ser.

Species Habitat Types

This species occurs near the tree line in damp, rocky habitats, and can also be found in temperate forests, temperate shrubland, temperate grassland, and plantations.