Lizards in Greece

🦎 Species, Habitats & Observation Tips

Lizards are a common sight in Greece. Whether in the mountains, on the islands, or on old stone houses – these small, fast reptiles scamper through the sun everywhere.

For many tourists, they are a familiar sight, and for children, often a small attraction.

With its warm climate and diverse landscape, Greece is a true paradise for lizards.

In this article, you’ll learn which species live here, where you can best observe them, and what you should know about their behavior.

🌞 Why there are so many lizards in Greece

Greece has over 300 days of sunshine a year – ideal conditions for reptiles.

Lizards are cold-blooded animals; they need warmth to become active.

On rocky slopes, walls, or among olive trees, they find exactly what they need: sun, shelter, and plenty of insects to eat.

They are most commonly seen:

on old ruins and walls

on rocks and stone paths

in the mountains on dry stone walls

in gardens, especially on islands like Crete, Naxos, or Rhodes

🐍 The Difference Between Lizards and Snakes

Many tourists are startled when something scurries quickly through the grass – but it’s usually a harmless lizard.

Typical characteristics:

short body,

four legs,

tail often twice as long as the body,

quick movements in short bursts.

Unlike snakes in Greece, lizards flee immediately when threatened and are completely harmless.

🦎 Common Lizard Species in Greece

Greece has over 20 native species – some of which are found only here.

Here are the most common species you’re likely to see as a tourist:

🟢 Wall Lizard or Ruin Lizard (Podarcis muralis)

Most common species in Greece

Lives on stone walls, ruins, and house facades

Length: 15–20 cm

Color: greenish to brown with dark spots

Very agile, often basks on top of walls

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🟢 Balkan Lizard (Podarcis tauricus)

Lives in meadows and olive groves

Highly adaptable

Greenish with a light stripe down its back

Grows up to 25 cm long

Eats insects, spiders, and small beetles

This species is often seen in spring when the sun isn’t too hot.

🟢 Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis)

One of the most beautiful species in Europe

Deep green with a blue throat (especially in males)

Length: up to 35 cm

Lives in bushes, on slopes, and at forest edges

Very shy, but strikingly colored

With a bit of luck, you can observe them in Crete, Euboea, and northeastern Greece.

🟢 Aegean Wall Lizard (Podarcis erhardii)

Endemic species of the Aegean Sea – lives only on the Greek islands

Small (up to 20 cm)

Highly variable in color – from grayish-brown to green

Particularly common on Naxos, Paros, Santorini, and Mykonos

It is the quintessential island lizard: lightning-fast, diurnal, and perfectly adapted to arid conditions.

🟢 Cretan Wall Lizard (Podarcis cretensis)

Native only to Crete

Olive-green with a lighter underside

Lives in stone walls and gardens

Very curious – sometimes allows itself to be photographed at close range

🌿 Habitats

Lizards love warmth, but they also need hiding places.

That’s why you’ll find them especially where sun and shade alternate:

Old stone walls and ruins

Dry fields and roadsides

Vineyards and olive groves

Walls in villages or hotel complexes

Even in tourist areas like Rhodes Town or Chania in Crete, you can observe them – often right on the walls of tavernas.

🕷️ Diet

Lizards are insectivores.

They catch:

Flies

Ants

Small beetles

Spiders

Mosquitoes

Sometimes they also hunt small butterflies or grasshoppers.

They are very active in the summer, while in winter they enter a kind of dormant phase and hide in cracks in walls or under stones.

🧬 Tail shedding – a survival trick

If a lizard is threatened by a cat or a bird, it can shed its tail.

It twitches for a few more seconds, distracting the attacker.

Later, the tail grows back—usually a bit shorter and lighter in color.

This is completely normal and doesn’t harm the animal.

🐣 Reproduction

In spring, usually in April or May, the males begin courting.

They become more colorful, bob their heads, and chase away rivals.

After mating, the females lay 2–8 eggs in loose soil or under stones.

After 6–8 weeks, tiny young hatchlings emerge and are immediately independent.

🏝️ Lizards on the Islands

Each Greek island has its own species of lizard.

Because many islands were isolated for millennia, unique subspecies have developed there.

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📸 Observation tips

Lizards are most active in the early morning – they bask in the sun after the night.

Move slowly and stand still – they often approach you on their own.

Many can be seen, especially in spring, and more often in the mornings and evenings during the height of summer.

Good places to spot them: walls of old houses, dry fields, monastery grounds, ruins.

💡 Tip:
Binoculars or a small camera with zoom are helpful without disturbing the animals.

⚠️ Protection and Threats

Lizards are protected animals in Greece.

Catching or killing them is prohibited.

The main threats are:

Cats and crows

Road traffic

Habitat loss (development, fire)

In recent years, conservation projects in Crete and the Cyclades have been promoting the preservation of these animals – especially endemic species.

🧭 Conclusion: Tiny sun-lovers with big charm

Lizards are as much a part of Greece as olive trees and the chirping of cicadas.

They are harmless, curious, and fascinating to watch.

If you look closely, you’ll spot them everywhere – on stone walls, at tavernas, or along the paths to beaches and villages.

A little piece of Greek nature that you can experience up close with a bit of patience.