THE LIZARDS

WHO DOES NOT KNOW THEM ? These small green creatures that appear with the first heat and enjoy the summer alongside us. Their name is “Podarcis pityusensis“, and they are a type of reptile.
Reptiles have existed for over 150 million years, and are direct descendants of dinosaurs. The body temperature of these animals varies according to their environment. When temperatures go down and food is scarce, they get ready to hibernate, which they tend to do under roots or large safe stones. As soon as the first warm sunrays appear, they start to stir.
Reptiles are vertebrates, their skin is covered in scales or bony plates and almost without glands, which allows them to live in dry surroundings. They periodically shed their skin.
.They also adapt perfectly to their environment: in Formentera, or on the isle of Es Vedrà, lizards are bluish, while the ones in Ibiza are greener. They breathe through lungs, and their hearts have two normal ventricles and a third and forth which arejoined into one.
As often happens in Nature, males have a more colourful skin than females do. Mating time is between April and May. During this period, males fight sometimes, even to death, over females. Like most reptiles, lizards reproduce through internal impregnation and lay a great many eggs. They mainly feed on small insects and spiders, but will also eat fruit.
If they find themselves in danger, lizards can get rid of a piece of their tails to escape the enemy (indeed a very useful trick of Nature). On their heads is a gland which serves as a third eye. It reacts to light and darkness, protecting the lizard from attacks coming from above. Normally lizards escape from humans; however, with a bit of patience and some food, these curious little animals could become regular visitors on your terrace at lunchtime.