biology

Pyrenean rock lizard

Pyrenean rock lizard is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pyrenean rock lizard rather than just read about it. In short: The Pyrenean rock lizard (Iberolacerta bonnali) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Pyrenees, where it occurs at high altitudes and is only active in summer.

Key takeaways

Pyrenean rock lizard belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pyrenean rock lizard to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pyrenean rock lizard from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Pyrenean rock lizard (Iberolacerta bonnali) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Pyrenees, where it occurs at high altitudes and is only active in summer.

Etymology and taxonomy The specific name, bonnali, is in honor of the Count of Bonnal who collected amphibians and reptiles while living at Montgaillard, Hautes-Pyrénées. The Aran rock lizard was initially included here as a subspecies, Iberolacerta bonnali aranica, but is now considered a distinct species, Iberolacerta aranica.

Description The Pyrenean rock lizard grows to a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 6 cm (2.4 in), with a tail about twice SVL. Its dorsal colour is greyish-brown, sometimes finely flecked with dark markings but without significant striping. The flanks are dark, sometimes with slight pale flecking. The underparts are white, greyish or greenish.

Geographic range and habitat The Pyrenean rock lizard is found in France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains at altitudes of between 1,700 and 3,000 metres (5,600 and 9,800 ft). Its natural habitats are rocky crags and screes in limestone, slate and schist areas. It is frequently found on rocks close to alpine meadows and near torrents and glacial lakes. It is only active for a short period of the year in summer.

Reproduction I. bonnali is oviparous.

Conservation status The Pyrenean rock lizard is assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being "near threatened". This is because, although the population seems to be stable and the lizard is present in a number of national parks and protected areas, it is vulnerable to disturbance to its habitat from skiing developments, the building of tracks, and the overgrazing of cattle. It may also be affected in the future by climate change.

References

Further reading Arribas OJ, Carranza S (2012). "The Type Specimen of Iberolacerta bonnali is stored in the Natural History Museum, London". Butlettí de la Societat Catalana d'Herpetologia 20: 124–125. Lantz AL (1927). "Quelques observations nouvelles sur l'herpétologie des Pyrénées centrales ". Revue d'Histoire Naturelle Appliquée, Paris 8: 54–61. (Lacerta monticola bonnali, new subspecies, p. 58). (in French). Sindaco R, Jeremčenko VK (2008). The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic. 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. (Monographs of the Societas Herpetologica Italica). Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. ISBN 978-88-89504-14-7. (Iberolacerta bonnali). Vences M, Rey J, Puente M, Miramontes C, Dominguez M (1998). "High altitude record of the Pyrenean lizard, Lacerta bonnali ". Zeitschrift für Feldherpetologie 5: 249–251.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pyrenean rock lizard

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pyrenean rock lizard claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pyrenean rock lizard before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pyrenean rock lizard ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pyrenean rock lizard

In research: Pyrenean rock lizard appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pyrenean rock lizard in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pyrenean rock lizard is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Habitats Directive species, IUCN Red List near threatened species, Iberolacerta, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pyrenean rock lizard outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pyrenean rock lizard in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pyrenean rock lizard means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pyrenean rock lizard out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pyrenean rock lizard in simple terms?

Why does Pyrenean rock lizard matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pyrenean rock lizard?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pyrenean rock lizard.