The Leonese rock lizard (Iberolacerta galani), also known as Galan's rock lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is indigenous to Spain.
Geographic range The species I. galani is endemic to the Montes de León in northwestern Spain.
Etymology Its specific name, galani, honors the Corunnan herpetologist Dr. Pedro Galán RegaladoBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Iberolacerta galani, p. 97). for his lifelong dedication to the study of the Iberian herpetofauna and natural history in general.
Description This species, I. galani, is characterized by its relatively large size. It is the biggest species of Iberolacerta with females reaching snout-to-vent length (SVL). It is also characterized by a high number of blue ocelli on the shoulders, and the relatively frequent contact or near-contact between the supranasal and the first loreal scale.
Habitat The Leonese rock lizard inhabits rocky supraforestal (above the tree line) habitats, at , with a high-mountain climate. Behavior As a heliothermic lizard, I.galani relies on basking to regulate its body temperature.Seasonal shifts in thermal preferences have been observed in I. galani, allowing it to maintain effective thermoregulation throughout the year.Ortega, Z., Mencía, A., & Pérez-Mellado, V. (2016). Adaptive seasonal shifts in the thermal preferences of the lizard Iberolacerta galani (Squamata, Lacertidae). Journal of Thermal Biology, 62, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.10.005 Reproduction I. galani is oviparous. www.reptile-database.org.
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