the.com/wall lizard
a gravity-defying reptile that walks vertical brick like the laws of physics are mere suggestions.
means A small, slender lizard of the genus Podarcis, common across Europe, that habitually basks and scampers on stone walls, rocks, and ruins.
from A plain English compound — "wall" plus "lizard" — naming the creature by where you actually see it: clinging to sun-warmed masonry. "Lizard" came into English through Old French "lesarde," from Latin "lacertus," which also meant the muscle of the upper arm — the Romans apparently saw a darting, sinewy resemblance between a flexed bicep and a scurrying reptile.
- toe grip
- micro-scaled feet hook tiny surface irregularities, no glue needed
- tail trick
- snaps off its own tail to flee predators
- invasion
- a few escapees colonized whole American cities
- sun powered
- basks to fuel itself, motionless until warm enough
- color shift
- males flush brighter green when breeding season hits
common wall lizard — podarcis muralis, found across europe from spain to russia, expands northward annually
italian wall lizard — podarcis sicula, native to italy and balkans, introduced to long island in 1960s
starred agama — stellagama stellio, climbs rocky walls and cliffs throughout middle east and north africa