The Maltese wall lizard is an endemic species. It is found only in the Maltese Islands and two Pelagian islands and is closely related to another lizard found in Sicily.
It is possible these lizards were transported to the Pelagian islands by humans
Fossil records indicate that the two species are derived from a common ancestor that is now extinct and that reached the Maltese Islands probably sometime when these were allegedly connected to Sicily.
When the land connection between the islands somehow disappeared, the local lizards were separated from those in Sicily and started to evolve into a separate species.
The Maltese wall lizard, known to scientists and naturalists as Podacis filfolensis, now consists of five subspecies that live isolated from each other.
What is known as the nominate subspecies is found on the islet of Filfla. Scientists refer to this subspecies as Podarcis filfolensis filfolensis.
Podarcis filfolensis maltensis is found on Malta, Gozo and Comino while Podarcis filfolensis kieselbachi is endemic to St Paul’s Islands (it is believed this subspecies became extinct a few years ago).
Another race, known as Podarcis filfolensis generalensis, is found on Fungus Rock (Il-Ħaġra tal-Ġeneral), off the west coast of Gozo.
This summer I had the opportunity to see and photograph the fifth subspecies of this interesting lizard: the Podarcis filfolensis laurentimulleri.
This subspecies lives only on Linosa and Lampione, two small Italian islands, which together with the larger island of Lampedusa, are known as the Pelagian Archipelago. This group of islands lies 150 kilometres southwest of Malta.
Being another subspecies of the Maltese wall lizard further proves that the Linosa/Lampione lizard arrived on these islands from Malta, although it is not known how and when. It is possible these lizards were transported by humans although, if this happened, it must have occurred thousands of years ago.
This particular subspecies is very dark with light green spots all over the body and light blue spots on the lower sides. On Linosa, lizards are common everywhere and, although grape growers kill them because they believe they eat their produce, this subspecies seems to be doing very well and does not seem to be endangered or in risk of extinction.
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