DNA sequences from parts of the 12S, 16S and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes, which totalled 1049 aligned base pairs, were used to estimate the relationships of 49 species of Lacertidae, including representatives of 19 out of the 23 recognized genera and 23 species of the paraphyletic genus Lacerta. These data were used, together with morphological information, to estimate the relationships wi...

We describe polymerase chain reaction primers and amplification conditions for 13 highly polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci isolated from the Dalmatian wall lizard, Podarcis melisellensis. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 12 to 41, with levels of observed heterozygosity between 0.62 and 0.94. Most of these loci were successfully cross-amplified in the closely related species P. sicu...

Color polymorphisms are widespread in nature and may show a high variability not only within the same population, but also among populations of the same species., Color polymorphism is a common feature among reptiles and is often linked to evolution of alternative strategies. Alternative and discrete color morphs have been reported in the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, which show six dif...

—We analyzed 621 lizard fecal pellets to assess the diet of the endemic lizard Gallotia galloti (Lacertidae) throughout one year in the thermophilous scrubland, the most threatened habitat in the Canary Islands. Indicating the importance of frugivory, 98.1% of pellets contained seeds from fleshy-fruited plant species (8,028 seeds in total), and the fruit volume reached 47.5%. The Canarian endem...