14 Types of Lizards Found in Turkey (2025)
Do you want to learn about the different lizards in Turkey?
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!
14 Lizards IN Turkey:
#1. Green Lizard
- Lacerta viridis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 15 cm (6 in) long with tails that reach 25.5 cm (10 in).
- They are green with small black spots all over, especially on their backs, and they have a bluish throat.
- Males have a larger head and a more pronounced blue throat.
Green Lizards in Turkey are shockingly bright.
They look like an animal you might find in the jungle, but they prefer dense vegetation, hedgerows, open woodland, and bramble thickets. You can often spot them near embankments, basking in the late afternoon sun.
The Green Lizard feeds on small mice, invertebrates, insects, and bird eggs. They also eat some fruit, including berries and tree fruit.
Like some other lizards, this species will sever its tail to escape predators. However, this cagey lizard has another interesting defensive strategy. If a predator pursues it, it will run away in a zig-zag pattern to confuse its attacker. Once there is enough distance, it will suddenly stop, turn around, slowly creep back toward the predator, and hide. As the predator rushes to catch it, thinking it is ahead, it darts straight past the lizard hiding in a bush or under a rock!
#2. 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 Turkey 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.
#3. European Glass Lizard
- Pseudopus apodus
Also known as Pallas’s Glass Lizard and European Legless Lizard.
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults can reach a maximum length of 135 cm (4.43 ft).
- Their coloring varies, but most commonly, they are brown and tan with scattered orange or reddish dots.
At first glance, this lizard in Turkey might be mistaken for a snake!
You need to look closely to identify its tiny vestigial legs. They’re almost non-existent, so this reptile slithers on its belly instead of walking around. And while this might be the most obvious difference between it and other lizards, it’s not the only one! These amazing creatures have a lifespan of up to 50 years, much longer than most animals.
This species prefers dry areas like sparsely wooded hills or short grasslands but is more active in wet weather. Its favorite meal is snails, which they crack with their hard teeth and strong jaw. However, they won’t say no to arthropods or small mammals either.
There are a few key differences you can look for to determine if you’ve found a legless lizard in Turkey or a snake:
- Legless lizards have eyelids and ear openings, which snakes lack.
- Snakes have wide jaws that can be unhinged to consume large prey, while legless lizards’ jaws are fixed.
- Legless lizards have unforked or notched tongues, whereas snakes’ tongues are completely forked.
#4. Eastern Slowworm
- Anguis colchica
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 50 cm (20 in) long.
- Their coloring is brown on the body with darker brown flanks.
- Males have noticeable blue spots on the back during mating season.
Eastern Slowworms are a type of legless lizard in Turkey.
Despite their confusing name, these creatures aren’t worms at all! In fact, you might get them confused with a snake because of their lack of legs and the way they slither around on their bellies. Here are the differences to help you identify an Eastern Slowworm:
- Slowworms have eyelids and ear openings, which snakes lack.
- Snakes have wide jaws that can be unhinged to consume large prey, while slowworms’ jaws are fixed.
- Slowworms have unforked or notched tongues, whereas snakes’ tongues are completely forked.
You can find Eastern Slowworms in forest clearings and along trail paths basking in the sun. This species likes to occupy the burrows of small rodents but also feels at home under stone piles and wood debris. They often venture into suburban gardens, especially to catch a meal.
Although this reptile loves basking in the sun, it is most active at night and after rain. As its name suggests, it’s not one of the fastest lizards out there and prefers slower prey like earthworms, insect larvae, and slugs.
#5. Balkan Wall Lizard
- Podarcis tauricus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 8 cm (3 in) long.
- They are bright green in spring and olive green to brown in summer.
- Their backs are brownish with black spots.
Balkan Wall Lizards can thrive in nearly any habitat in Turkey.
This sturdy reptile is a generalist, meaning the climate and conditions of its habitat don’t matter much. However, they prefer dry, open grassland areas like meadows, rural gardens, and dunes. They love any spot with sparse vegetation where they can roam and search for food.
When mating season arrives, male Balkan Wall Lizards waste no time to secure a suitable female. There is great competition among males, who assert dominance and fight for the right to mate. Females lay between two and ten eggs twice yearly, from mid-April until mid-July.
#6. European Copper Skink
- Ablepharus kitaibelii
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 15 cm (6 in) long.
- They are bronze with dark brownish-black sides.
- Females are slightly longer and heavier than males.
The European Copper Skink is often called the European Snake-eye because its eyelids are fixed, like snakes. In contrast, most lizards have movable eyelids. These skinks also move similarly to snakes because of their small and weak limbs.
This small, slim lizard has a plain diet consisting mostly of small snails and insects they find at night. They spend most of their time on the ground in meadows and fields.
In most other lizard species, the males are larger to defend their territory against other males. However, females have the size advantage in the case of the European Copper Skink. This size difference is thought to offer an advantage in attracting males during the mating season. They’re extremely shy and prefer to hide under leaves and rocks during the day.
#7. Roughtail Rock Agama
- Laudakia stellio
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 35.5 cm (14 in) long.
- Their coloring is gray with creamy yellow to orange stripes or diamond-shaped blotches on their backs.
The Roughtail Rock Agama, also known as the Starred Agama, is fascinating because of its color-changing ability. For example, you may notice this species is lighter in color in warmer weather. During the breeding season, they become more brightly colored to attract mates. Think of this lizard in Turkey as having a permanent mood ring! 🙂
These extremely shy critters are incredibly hard to find because they quickly dive into a rock crevice to avoid predators. They’re great climbers and prefer forested areas, stone walls, and rocky areas. It is best to wait until mid-day to try to glimpse a Roughtail Rock Agama because that’s when they come out to bask on rocks or garden walls.
Roughtail Rock Agamas eat insect eggs, larvae, plant material, and snails. Like other lizards in Turkey, this species hibernates in the winter, then becomes active just before the mating season. A month or so after hibernation, females are ready to mate, and males search relentlessly to find a suitable match.
#8. Snake-eyed Lizard
- Ophisops elegans
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 5 cm (2 in) long.
- Their coloring is bronze or olive with black spots and white undersides.
- Males have a yellowish-green throat, chin, and vent during mating season.
The Snake-eyed Lizard in Turkey gets its name because, like a snake, it has fixed eyelids. Its eyes are covered with transparent scales, which protect them from dirt and debris. Besides this feature, it bears no resemblance to a snake and maneuvers quickly with its legs on branches and rocks.
They’re excellent climbers and not easy to catch, so they have few predators. This has led to the species flourishing and increasing in population over the years. Spotting a Snake-eyed Lizard is easy due to its large population. Just wait near a rock during the day; dozens of them will appear to bask in the sun.
Snake-eyed Lizards mainly eat insects and invertebrates, which energize them for the mating season. After mating, the female lays between two and five eggs, producing two clutches per season. The young ones hatch in the late summer, and after a year, they are ready to follow in their parent’s footsteps to mate and reproduce on their own.
#9. Kotschy’s Gecko
- Mediodactylus kotschyi
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 10 cm (4 in) long.
- Their coloring varies; individuals can be gray, yellowish, reddish-black, or dark brown.
- Males are slightly smaller than females.
- Females have slim tails and limbs with small tubercles on their backs.
Kotschy’s Geckos are named after explorer Karl Georg Theodor Kotschy. This small and beautiful lizard in Turkey prefers dry stony areas, cliffs, and stone walls of buildings, mostly in lowland areas.
As a nocturnal species, Kotschy’s Geckos shy away from sunlight, but occasionally, you might find one in the early morning or late afternoon. They’re excellent climbers, even though they don’t have adhesive pads like some other geckos. However, they do prefer to stay closer to the ground.
This lizard’s size makes it easy prey for birds and other predators, so it shelters in dense undergrowth and rock crevices and even clings to the bottom of overhangs when threatened. You can probably recognize it by the high-pitched “chick” sound the male and female make during courtship.
#10. 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 Turkey!
This is the only chameleon species native to Turkey, 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.
#11. 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 Turkey.
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.
#12. 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.
#13. Viviparous Lizard
- Zootoca vivipara
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 5-7 cm (2-3 in) long.
- Their skin is mottled brown, tan, and black.
- They have long tails compared to their body; however, if their tails are lost to predators, only a short stub grows back.
These tiny lizards are tough when it comes to cool weather in Turkey, and they will hibernate through the worst of winter, from October to March. They must bask in the sun to maintain their body temperature in the summer, so you’re likely to see them during the day.
Viviparous Lizards are named for their method of reproduction. Instead of laying eggs like most other reptiles, these lizards give birth to live young! It’s thought that this gives their offspring a better chance of survival because they don’t have to survive through a helpless stage of egg development. Interestingly, in some regions, this lizard does lay eggs, which may have to do with a lack of predators in the area.
#14. Sand Lizard
- Lacerta agilis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 18-20 cm (7-8 in) long.
- Males are green with a brown stripe on the back and brown hind legs.
- Females are light brown with darker brown mottling.
As its name suggests, this lizard prefers dry habitats in Turkey.
Look for sand lizards in rock gardens, beaches, dunes, or rocky outcrops. They spend most of the day in the open, basking in the sun to retain as much heat as possible. You’re likely only to see one at a time because these territorial lizards rarely bask together.
While basking, Sand Lizards need to remain alert to the many predators that view them as a tasty snack. Birds of prey, foxes, and cats appear to be some of the most common dangers for these lizards. However, they’re also hunted by snakes and badgers. When confronted by danger, they use their exceptional speed to flee. They can also separate their tail from the rest of their body to get away!
Do you want to learn about MORE animals in Turkey?
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Which of these lizards in Turkey have you seen?
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