10 Types of Lizards Found in Portugal (2025)
Do you want to learn about the different lizards in Portugal?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! In the article below, I have listed the lizards you can expect to see. For each species, you’ll find out how to identify that lizard correctly, along with pictures, interesting facts, and RANGE MAPS!
10 Lizards IN Portugal:
#1. Italian Wall Lizard
- Podarcis siculus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 15-25.5 cm (6-10 in) long.
- Their coloring is green or brown on the back with a light green or white belly.
- Males have larger heads, and Females have a distinctive striped pattern.
Italian Wall Lizards in Portugal can be difficult to identify.
Their colors are varied because they can change color to adapt to certain environments. For example, individuals that spend more time in green vegetation might be greenish, while those that live in rocky areas are more brown or tan.
You can often find Italian Wall Lizards basking in the sun to warm up after a chilly evening. For their habitat, they prefer shrubby vegetation, sandy and rocky shores, pastureland, rural gardens, and urban areas.
This species spends most of the day hunting for small mammals and other lizards. They also eat small mollusks, crustaceans, and occasionally plant matter. Interestingly, some populations have increased their plant diet in recent years, making them more omnivores than carnivores.
#2. Ocellated Lizard
- Timon lepidus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) long.
- Their coloring is green with a brown or greyish head and tail. They have blue spots along their flanks with a yellowish-green underside.
- Males are larger, and their colors are brighter.
The Ocellated Lizard is the largest lizard in Portugal!
This beautiful species is also called the Jeweled Lizard because of its bright blue markings resembling gems. Although the average Ocellated Lizard is about 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) long, some records show they can grow up to a meter (3 ft) long and weigh 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs).
You would think that such a large reptile would eat enormous prey, but this species mostly feeds on large insects like snails and beetles. They occasionally feast on fruit, mice, birds, frogs, and reptiles to keep up their energy during the mating season.
Look for Ocellated lizards in olive groves, vineyards, open woodland, and rocky or sandy areas. They prefer having higher ground and tend to climb rocks and trees, but they also dig holes or use abandoned rabbit burrows for shelter.
#3. Large Psammodromus
- Psammodromus algirus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 17-30 cm (7-12 in) long.
- Their coloring is brown on the back, with darker sides and a lighter belly.
- Males’ throats become orange during the mating season.
Large Psammodromus might not be the largest lizard in Portugal, but they are intimidating!
They’re known for their incredible speed, eyesight, and hearing, which they use to hunt grasshoppers, flies, spiders, and ants. Although this species is a great hunter, it also uses camouflage to ambush prey that gets too close.
These fearsome animals are no more gentle during mating than they are while hunting. The male grips the female around the throat to mate, and although it doesn’t hurt the female, it is quite violent-looking. The red-eyed hatchlings emerge between August and October.
Unsurprisingly, males are fierce fighters when defending their territory and if a predator attacks them. They won’t hesitate to bite viciously, and they make a high squeaky sound to scare the attacker.
#4. Green Iberian Wall Lizard
- Podarcis virescens
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 4-6 cm (1.5-2 in) long.
- Their coloring varies from nearly white to brown or black. Most have a yellowish underside.
- Males turn noticeably greenish during spring.
The Green Iberian Wall Lizard lives near villages, cities, mountains, and rivers in Portugal. They’re much easier to spot in the spring because they turn green in preparation for breeding. However, their drab brown color in the other seasons allows them to blend in with rocks and vegetation.
Despite their unassuming looks, males are extremely dominant and territorial. They often fight with others of the same species to assert a mating hierarchy. It’s common for a single male to mate with several females during the breeding season.
Once the mating process is complete, the female will lay around three to four clutches of eggs each year. These clutches typically contain four to seven eggs and are usually deposited under rocks. Once they hatch, the young lizards hunt and live independently with little help from their parents.
#5. Common Chameleon
- Chamaeleo chamaeleon
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 20-40 cm (8-16 in) long.
- Colors vary from yellow/brown to dark brown, with two light-colored lines along their sides.
- Females are significantly larger than males.
The Common Chameleon is one of the most well-known lizards in Portugal!
This is the only chameleon species native to Portugal, as most species live in warmer, more humid climates. Their camouflaging ability is well-known, as is the incredible length of their tongues. One lesser-known talent is the speed with which it catches its prey. The Common Chameleon uses its tongue to rapidly extend and catch insects on the sticky end.
Despite its quick tongue, the Common Chameleon is one of the slowest lizard species in the world. They must capitalize on their camouflage skills to avoid predators and catch prey.
One of the ways it goes undetected is to remain incredibly still for long periods. The Common Chameleon has two or three toes on each foot to help it balance, climb, and hold on to branches. To improve its stability, this reptile also uses its prehensile tail to improve its balance.
#6. Iberian Emerald Lizard
- Lacerta schreiberi
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 13.5 cm (5 in) long, and their tails are about 24 cm (9.5 in).
- They are bright green across the body, limbs, and head with a bright turquoise throat.
The Iberian Emerald Lizard in Portugal is known for its beautiful green and blue coloring.
Look for this species near shrubby vegetation in forests, pastures, and meadows near rivers. Although it has a wide variety of acceptable habitats, its population is threatened by habitat loss from farming and land development.
The Iberian Emerald Lizard is insectivorous, meaning it mainly feeds on insects. Still, with its size and power, it is known to feast on smaller lizards if insects aren’t plentiful. These surprisingly large lizards can handle sizeable meals and spend most of their day hunting. So, keep alert, and you may spot one eating or basking on rocks!
#7. Mediterranean House Gecko
- Hemidactylus turcicus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 3.8-6.3 cm (1.5-2.5 in) long.
- The pupils are vertical, and the eyes are large and round with immovable eyelids.
- This species has two color phases for camouflage.
- Pale phase: the coloring is light pink to pale yellow or white with brown or gray blotches.
- Dark phase: the coloring darkens to gray or brown, obscuring the blotches on the back.
This lizard is one of the most commonly seen in Portugal.
Mediterranean House Geckos are nocturnal, but this won’t stop you from being able to find them. They’re considered an “urbanized” species, which means they’re just as happy to live inside your house as they are in the wild!
They eat insects attracted to lights and are commonly found on walls, ceilings, and window screens in homes. Outside, look for them in rock crevices or cracked tree trunks.
In addition to being comfortable around humans, Mediterranean House Geckos are a vocal species. The mating call of males is a series of clicks, and they make a squeaking noise if threatened.
#8. Common Wall Lizard
- Podarcis muralis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are up to 20 cm (8 in) long.
- The pupils are round, and the eyes are large with immovable eyelids.
- Their coloring varies from shades of brown and gold to green and black.
European Wall Lizards are commonly found in urban areas and rocky outcroppings. They’re unafraid of people. You might find one scurrying across a sidewalk on a warm day!
These lizards are so comfortable around people that it’s just as likely to see them in a building as in the wild. They often prefer humid climates in the southern part of their range, but in the north, you can find them in dry habitats.
#9. Common Wall Gecko (Moorish Gecko)
- Tarentola mauritanica
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 15 cm (6 in) long.
- They have spiny skin and variable coloring, which allows them to blend in with rocky terrain.
- Their shape is typical of a gecko, with a large head, thin abdomen, and prominent, large toes.
Common Wall Geckos are frequently spotted lizards in Portugal.
These nocturnal lizards are known to be comfortable around people, and can easily scale the walls of your home, thus their common name. However, don’t be frightened if you see one inside! It won’t do you any harm, and it may eat a few pesky insects for you.
Common Wall Geckos, which are also called Moorish Geckos, have been introduced to many parts of the world via exotic plant shipments and the pet trade. While they don’t usually do serious damage as an invasive species, they can impact some plant life with their appetite.
#10. Common Slow Worm
- Anguis fragilis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 40-45 cm (15-18 in) long.
- They are smooth, scaled, and legless, with heads that are the same width as their bodies.
- Often these lizards have stripes that run the length of their bodies, but some are solid in color. Common coloring is olive, brown, tan, and black.
Despite their name, Slow Worms are not worms at all but rather legless lizards. And if you’re wondering whether a legless lizard is just a snake, the answer is no! The reptile world can get confusing but no less fascinating when it comes to creatures like these.
Slow Worms spend most of their time buried in sand or underneath rocks and debris. They can be hard to find unless you’re willing to upend some stones in your search!
One of the most interesting behaviors of Slow Worms and many other lizards is the ability to sever their tail to escape a predator. This skill is called Caudal Autotomy. If a predator is chasing a Slow Worm or grabs its tail, the lizard simply breaks it off and continues to escape.
Do you want to learn about MORE animals in Portugal?
Check out these ID Guides!
-
The 29 MOST Common Birds in Portugal!
-
The Complete List of FROGS found in Portugal
-
The VENOMOUS SNAKES that live in Portugal
Which of these lizards in Portugal have you seen?
Leave a comment below!
