Italian wall lizard (Podarcis sicula)

Short answers

Italian wall lizard: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100 × 50 × 50 cm for a single animal, at least 120 × 50 × 50 cm for a pair or a small group; use the height for a climbing background.

Italian wall lizard: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–30 °C, basking spot 35–40 °C, at night 18–22 °C.

Italian wall lizard: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 3–4).

Italian wall lizard: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 6–8 years in captivity.

Italian wall lizard: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

35–40 °C

Humidity

50–70 %

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 3, UV index 3–4)

Enclosure

Minimum size

100 × 50 × 50 cm for a single animal, at least 120 × 50 × 50 cm for a pair or a small group; use the height for a climbing background

Substrate

A sand-loam mix with rock structures, cork and roots; a damp egg-laying spot

Feeding

Food

Insects (crickets, house crickets, locusts, flies), meadow sweepings, occasionally ripe fruit

Feeding interval

adults 3–4×/week, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

up to ~25 cm total length (SVL up to ~8–9 cm, the tail approx. two thirds)

Life expectancy

approx. 6–8 years in captivity

Origin

Italy, the Adriatic coast, Sicily; introduced in many places (including the USA)

Protection status

Strictly protected – all Podarcis are in Habitats Directive Annex IV; only documented captive-bred animals, proof of origin and registration with the authority

Brumation

A winter rest is needed: about October to March, 2–4 months at 5–10 °C (important for reproduction)

Cohabitation

A pair (one male plus one female), or one male plus several females, is possible in a well-structured enclosure with visual barriers; NEVER keep males together (territorial fights), and separate the young early

Notes

A robust, sun-hungry climbing and ground lizard; considered comparatively easy to care for. Common mistakes: an enclosure that is too small or too cool, no winter rest, and no UVB. The source writes "sicula" (correctly often "siculus").

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Aeolian wall lizard (Podarcis raffonei) – Expert
• Erhard's wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii) – Beginner to intermediate
• Lilford's wall lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) – Expert
• Bocage's wall lizard (Podarcis bocagei) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Carbonell's wall lizard (Podarcis carbonelli) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Geniez's wall lizard (Podarcis virescens) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Guadarrama wall lizard (Podarcis guadarramae) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Ionian wall lizard (Podarcis ionicus) – Beginner with some knowledge

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Italian wall lizard (Podarcis sicula) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100 × 50 × 50 cm for a single animal, at least 120 × 50 × 50 cm for a pair or a small group; use the height for a climbing background), substrate (A sand-loam mix with rock structures, cork and roots; a damp egg-laying spot), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.