Iberian rock lizard  (Iberolacerta monticola)

Iberian rock lizards are only active between late February and October, spending the cooler winter months hibernating. During this short period of activity, the lizards must find a mate and breed. The exact period of mating activity varies between populations, with those inhabiting the harsh, mountainous environment breeding much later than those living in the milder climate of the coastal areas. In the mountains, time is even more limited and males tend to commence mating as soon as females become active after the winter (4). Aggressive encounters are often observed between males at this time, as they attempt to claim a mate, particularly between the larger, older green males (5).

Female Iberian rock lizards lay one to two clutches of eggs each year, although only the largest females seem able to lay two clutches. The clutches, consisting of four to nine eggs, begin hatching in August, and hatching continues until the end of October (4). Female Iberian rock lizards become sexually mature at an age of around two or three years, at which point females measure between 52.4 and 56.0 millimetres and males are between 50.7 and 51.8 millimetres in length (4).