Italian Wall Lizard

 

This is an Italian wall lizard, also called a ruin lizard — the kind you typically see basking on ancient stone ruins around the Mediterranean. This one, however, was sunning itself on the base of a flagpole in front of an office building in Marlton, NJ. I took the photo last October. Click to enlarge. 

It was about 10 inches long, colorful, and resplendent in the sun. And… in New Jersey. I found out later that they were introduced to Burlington County around 2010 and are becoming established. The wall lizard is apparently well‑known for its adaptability. It's using it now to develop cold tolerance to survive our winters. In their native southern European range, they deal with cold temperatures by reducing activity, becoming dormant but waking to drink or if temperatures temporarily warm up. It’s similar to mammalian hibernation, but the reptile version is called brumation. I hope this one has tucked itself into a comfortable spot for the next couple of days at least, because cold is coming. It's time to curl up and dream about summer on the Isle of Capri.