The Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) — sometimes affectionately called "wallies" — is a small, fast-moving reptile native to Italy and nearby Mediterranean islands. In their native range, they are commonly found basking on sunny stone walls, rocky outcrops, and old buildings, favoring warm, dry habitats with plenty of open ground and scattered vegetation. Italian wall lizards are highly adaptable and opportunistic; they thrive in a variety of environments ranging from rural farmland to densely built urban areas. They are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day, and are often observed darting across sidewalks, walls, and gardens in search of insects and other small prey. 

In the late 1960s, a small number of Italian wall lizards were released from a pet shop in Garden City, New York. From this single introduction event, the species quickly established and began expanding across Long Island, Queens, and parts of the Bronx. Their success in New York — despite the colder and wetter climate compared to the Mediterranean — highlights their amazing ability to adapt to new conditions. Italian wall lizards have also been introduced to other places, including Southern California and Cincinnati, Ohio, where they similarly thrive in urban and suburban settings. In New York, these resilient reptiles have become a common sight in parks, gardens, and suburban neighborhoods, where they continue to adapt and evolve in response to their novel environments. 

Our lab group (the Winchell Lab) at New York University is studying how urban environments are shaping the evolution of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus), a species originally from the Mediterranean that has successfully established populations across New York. We are surveying lizard populations in urban, suburban, and natural areas throughout New York City and Long Island to better understand how city life affects their body traits, genetics, and ecology. 

By comparing lizards from different habitats and even comparing today's populations to historical samples collected decades ago (provided by Hofstra's Dr. Russel Burke), we can investigate how these animals are adapting over time. Our research provides important insight into how introduced species evolve in new environments and how urbanization is driving rapid biological change. 

If you spot what you think is an Italian wall lizard, take a picture of it and report your observation using the popular community science app, iNaturalist. Data from iNaturalist is used by researchers all over the world and so it is a great way to contribute to the advancement of scientific research! One benefit of using iNaturalist is that it is OK if you are not entirely sure of the species you are observing. When you upload your observation to iNaturalist with a photo, you can suggest the species (if you know what it is, or think you know what it is) or you can leave the species name blank. Either way, iNaturalist users will either agree (or disagree) with your species ID, and/or suggest a species ID for what they think is captured in your photo. Once the species ID has been confirmed by at least three iNaturalist users, it becomes a "research grade" observation. 

You can download iNaturalist through the Apple App Store or through Google Play.