Iberian Rock Lizard

While trekking on Ermida’s waterfall, I spotted a couple of rock-lizards, jumping in an out of the rocks, with their movements more managed by sunshine / rain conditions than affected by my presence. This one was sneaking out of the rock and allowed me to get closer enough for some macro shots.

After these, I went back to landscape photos and exchanged lens. I’m very careful with my equipment but I made a costly mistake due to this carefulness. Being away from my backpack, I didn’t want to place the lens on the rocky ground, thus I wrapped it in a t-shirt. An hour later, I totally forgot about the lens and, when picking up the clothing, I heard a rolling sound, river down… I looked and my macro lens was now a rolling black barrel in super-slow motion. I ran and jumped after it, while it was heading to the river stream at the same speed. No win there. It fell into the river and now was more like a submarine than a boat, heading with the stream. A glimpse of hope surged when the lens was caught in a whirlpool of a small water fall. I stretched my hand for it… It jumped again, at a distance of a hand. This time, caught into the main stream of Ermida’s waterfall. It disappeared into a deep hole, beneath a massive amount of water flow. It now belongs there, as this long, slow motion chase in my memory. I'm ellecting this photo as the tomb for a cheap macro lens that has done its job well. Now, time to add a new lens to my wish list (and money to the wallet).

Back to the rock-lizard, I also found out that distinguishing these exemplar between two species is quite difficult. Beyond typical databases, a net-search turns out lots of papers regarding comparison between Podarcis bocagei and Podarcis hispanica. Both common in North part of Portugal, though hispanica is considered and endangered species. From some descriptions, regarding the shape of the head and eyes, I’m forwarding this as hispanica.

 Iberian rock lizard / Largatixa-ibérica (PT) – Podarcis hispanica

Ermida, Gerês, Portugal

2012, May