Really an impressive report with beautiful lizards!
Iberolacerta martinezricai: "sterile, no lizard... I'm still wondering whether that species isn't a joke !" - That gives hope for my Iberolacerta plans in September :-(

From where did you have the subspecies taxonomy of P. liolepis? I don't know this.

Regards
Peter 

Thx Peter. Well, I think I. martinezricai will be also impossible to find in September. Me and 2 friends tried without luck.. but good luck !
You can take a look here, it's inn french sorry : http://coronella.free.fr/lezards/podlio.php
I will send you a map, too old now but it gives a good idea of the Podarcis complex...
 

Ok, thanks. Subspecies liolepis: „les individus les plus typiques présentent cependant une coloration "délavée"...Could you have a look at this: http://www.bpo-natura.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137&Itemid=478&lang=en.
Are the French specimen at the bottom of that page all subspecies liolepis? 

Yes, very nice pics. They really look like my lizards from Anso valley. And on Torreilles, it's probably 99,9% ssp. liolepis there... 

As you probably know from my report, martinezricai was not 100% impossible back in September 2005, although we had to settle for around 5 juveniles. One of us (not me) saw what must have been a single adult.

It is true that this species is usually extremely hard to find and I imagine that its numbers are very low. Links with altitude and global climate change have been put forward. I myself will try again for an adult in spring 2011. From the people I know that have tried, only Benny Trapp found several adults, surprisingly without much problem. I think he was there in May or June, but I'm not sure. 

I think May/June should be far better for martinezricai. But the weather is very variable there, even in the summer.

Low number doesn't explain all. When you are looking for a whole sunny day and you can't see anything, it's because not a single lizard was outside... A very strange animal.

Someone heard about a martinezricai spot in Portugal ?

Edit : http://lilirimundinatural2.blogspot.com/2008/08/pea-de-francia-batuecas-salamanca.html

these pictures was made on June 28th 2008 (know from IPTC data) 

I posted that question some weeks ago:
http://www.euroherp.com/forum/subject/477/

According to Arribas altitude cannot not be the problem, as the species seems to accour not only on the top of the mountain but also in lower places.
But I didn't hear of places in Portugal. 

> Low number doesn't explain all.
> When you are looking for a whole
> sunny day and you can't see anything,
> it's because not a single lizard was outside...
My general experience with Iberolacerta spp. is that on a sunny day, there are invisible during most of the day. This is particularly true for horvathi, but I noticed it again with bonnali and also aurelioi last month. That would mean that you have to be in the right spot at the right time. In the hotter months of the year (including September usually), I think the good time window is very small. In other words: why would they bask outside if they already obtain the necessary heat in a shady crevice in a split second, even if we would expect temperatures to be OK for most other lizard species?

> Someone heard about a martinezricai spot in Portugal ?
Nope. I know there are more spots than just the one peak, but haven't found out exactly (10m x 10m) where. I would be verrrry interested to find out about those, but please -if you find them- don't post them here!

http://herpetosmurcia.blogspot.com/2010/08/sistema-central.html
This is from August ;-).

> According to Arribas altitude cannot not be the problem
? Then he must have changed his mind. Maybe not the climate itself, but indirect effects like larger overlap with Podarcis? 

"on a sunny day, there are invisible during most of the day" - ok, I'm hoping for bad weather ;-)

Altitude does matter: you are right. I just wanted to say that they are obviously not restricted to peak areas... 

I agree with you Jeroen, however I found all Iberolacerta spp. under the sun, at least in early morning when T° are too high in the day. Why not martinezricai ? Moreover, in my case, the weather wasn't very warm, only about 10°c by night and 20°c at 11:00 AM. All lizards "should" be outside !

> http://herpetosmurcia.blogspot.com/2010/08/sistema-central.html from august and seeing the picture, probably by a cloudy day...

Would be also very interested to find another martinezricai spot because I have not really the motivation for going back to Peña de Francia !

 

> I have not really the motivation
> for going back to Peña de Francia !
:-)))
Well, you can start by waiting to see what happens with Peter in September and me next spring, to make up your mind ;-).

I think I will try to get in touch with Oscar and some other people I know for more details. If I find out anything, I will of course let you know. 

good plan ! :)