The Bedriaga's Rock Lizard, Archaeolacerta bedriagae, is a species of lizard

Lizard

Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...

 in the Lacertidae

Lacertidae

Lacertidae is the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. The group includes the genus Lacerta, which contains some of the most commonly seen lizard species in Europe...

 family. It is monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 within the genus Archaeolacerta.
It is only found on the islands Corsica (A.b. bedriagae) and Sardinia (A.b.sardus). There is no consensus concerning the scientific name Lacerta bedriaga is also used.
Its natural habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

s are temperate forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

s, temperate shrubland

Shrubland

Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...

, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

s, rocky areas, pastureland, and rural gardens.
It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description

Adults outside the mating season are brownish greay with a dark, fine lined net pattern on the back. The female is browner than the male and the males in mating season get a blue belly, blue loins and blue dots on the flank. The netlike pattern seems to turn into a pattern of white dots. Juveniles are discernible by the bright azure blue tail. The adult males can grow up to 30 cm. Most specimen don't get bigger than 25 cm.

Ecology

Bedriaga's Rock lizards climbs ver rocks, cliffs, walls and ruins. The species is found in mountainous regions mostly between 600 and 1000 m. But it is also found found along the coast sunbathing near small streams. When frightened the lizard sometimes tries to escape in the water. The lizard is a good swimmer. The food consists of insects and other small invertebrates. Particular about this lizard is that it jumps of the ground often to catch flying insects. Most other Lacertidae can't make high jumps to catch their prey.

This rare species is protected by CITES.