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Ancestor: Zootoca vivipara (Common Lizard) 

Size: 21 cm
Weight: 12 grams

Dietary Needs: Varied mix of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates:

•  Worms

• Tropical mealworm beetles

• Bees

• Lepidopterids

• Prawns

• Krill

Plus a small amount of fruit in season:

• Soloan mulberry

• Soloan elderberry

• Soloan dates

Life Cycle: Historically this species exhibited a mix of oviparity and viviparity in their population. Egg cannibalism occurred in this species and another inland species, so viviparity was still relevant. However the climate was warm enough that egg clutches could be abandoned with reasonable success. Egg-laying allowed the mother to be reproductively active sooner, thus why it stayed relevant. When sparrows arrived however, viviparity became more common, with oviparity still present but amongst fewer females (and the ones that do produce many eggs).  Although not originally egg-eaters, sparrows that have found their way to Soloa were more adventurous forragers and found lizard eggs to boon, developing a taste for them up until they became uncommon. There is minimal parental care, larger more mature females may defend her offspring or eggs for a short time but younger smaller females make a run for it as soon as they've given birth and regained their strength.

Other: Arrival of sparrows has eliminated small, slow, conspicuous lizards. Thus at full size they are able to put up a fight against a sparrow, can outrun a flying sparrow if not caught by surprise, and are very shy, preferring to hide where at all possible.

As a sensory feedback mechanism, when water pressure is sensed on the lizard's head from all angles, plus when sea water is entering the nostrils, the inside of the nostrils rapidly swell shut from increased blood flow. The lizard also instinctively holds it's breath.

Subspecies:

There are many subspecies of this lizard. On mainland Soloa there are a few different coastal subspecies that occupy slightly different climate temperatures and vegetation types. Island colonisation is a comparatively rare event compared to the rate of differentiation due to geographical isolation, so when a colony arises on an island it tends to become a distinct subspecies. Many islands thus have unique subspecies of the Soloan Beach lizard. Many islands in this area mean a lot of subspecies.