The Spectacular Ocellated Lizard

By Jose Luis Gallego, environmental communicator (@ecogallego)

The end of winter brought countless animals out of their hiding places and into the springtime fields where they resumed their activities. Among them is one particular creature whose spectacular appearance and beauty is sure to draw the attention of nature lovers. On this occasion, we’re not talking about a wild mammal or bird but a reptile, perhaps the most spectacular among all Iberian fauna: the ocellated or jewelled lizard, which herpetologists classify under the scientific name of Lacerta lepida or Timon lepidus. 

An ocellated lizard 

Reptiles appeared on Earth during the Carboniferous Period, that is to say, 360 million years ago, making them among the oldest living creatures on the planet. In addition to having spent much more time on Earth than us, and therefore deserving our utmost respect, the protagonist of our story is mainly interested in peacefully resting  in its hideout to then emerge during the middle of the day, either to settle on a rock and bask in the sun or to search for food in its home range. 

It will, however, fiercely defend this territory against incursions by fellow lizards, especially during the mating season, when these reptiles can inflict serious bites on one another with their strong jaws, often leaving deep scars. This is the extent of its bellicose behaviour, however. Like other lizards, the ocellated lizard never attacks humans, does not harm crops in any way, nor does it pose a threat to domestic livestock. 

It primarily feeds on snails, spiders, and insects. Occasionally, it might eat a bird’s egg or, if given the chance, a shrew, a mouse, a mole, or even smaller lizards. As for us, what we said before holds true: lizards don’t bite or sting, they don’t attack humans, and they aren’t poisonous. So, where does this deeply rooted aversion, this ancestral panic, towards larger reptiles like the ocellated lizard come from? This must boil down to a fear of the unknown. This makes the ocellated lizard the perfect subject for one of our articles dedicated to discovering the natural environment. 

The ocellated lizard is the largest of all European lizards, capable of growing to more than 60 centimetres in length from nose to tail. Males are larger than females and truly spectacular in appearance. What is most striking is the male’s solid triangular head, which he tends to hold up high, standing tall on his front legs, the gaze directed forward in a defiant posture. 

Yellowish green in colour, the lizard sports an intricate black and yellow swirling pattern across its back not unlike a meticulously and richly embellished tattoo. It features distinctive blue markings along the sides known as ocelli (hence the lizard’s name) that acquire a very eye-catching hue in males during the mating season, which typically takes place in Spain between April and May.  The abdomen and the lower part of the throat are white. The tail is long and narrow, with black stripes on light green, and often amputated because of territorial combats. 

Ocellated lizards tend to live among rocks, stony ground, vineyards, and along the edges of paths near dryland forests, especially if these contain dense undergrowth. The lizards will vanish into the thicket to hide from potential predators: foxes, mountain cats, short-toed snake eagles, Montpellier snakes, or the most feared of all – humans. Under these circumstances, and given their large size, the lizards’ escape might be swift and noisy and therefore startling to us. 

Far smaller than the ocellated lizard, the green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) rarely grows larger than 30 centimetres in length and is easily differentiated by the colouring of its upper body: a bright almost shrill green with fine black stippling. The underside is an intense shade of yellow without spots – this characteristic sets it apart from the Iberian emerald lizard (L. schreiberi). Males have a slightly blueish head, a lovely hue that intensifies during the mating season in spring, when it turns a deep vivid blue. In contrast to the ocellated lizard, which can be found across the entire Iberian Peninsula, the green lizard inhabits a narrow stretch of the northeast, from Cantabria to Catalonia. 

A green lizard 

Although lizards are an effective form of biological insect and rodent control, thereby protecting crops and harvests from a potentially serious threat, they aren’t considered natural allies by us humans. Instead, we treat them much like we do ophidians (snakes) – with contempt or even hatred, often leading people to capture them with the intent to kill. 

Getting over this instinct and respecting their presence would be a good step towards preserving these spectacular and harmless beings. Lizard species are seeing their populations dwindle due to habitat destruction, the spread of industrial farming, the indiscriminate use of pesticides, and the consequences of climate change. Far from posing a threat to our interests, lizards play a fundamental role in our wild ecosystems and help maintain the ecological balance of our fields.