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Ancestor: Zootoca vivipara (Common Lizard) 

Size: 17 cm
Weight: 7 grams

Dietary Needs: Mixture of terrestrial invertebrates, fruit and the eggs and chicks of sparrows.

Life Cycle: Males and females have darker heads and tails, but in males this appears a more vivid blue. Females have a more vivid orange underside. Males compete for mating rights while females compete for nesting or birthing sites. Females flatten their bodies and tilt to the side, or side-bump each other with their pointy side scales to intimidate another off their chosen territory. These dominance rituals are to prevent more violent action, as fights sometimes occur. Oviparity is rare, and females who lay eggs usually lay very many eggs with smaller offspring than birthing. Females protect their offspring from other hungry lizards if they give live birth until they grow to a certain size or disperse too far from each other. Young are capable of foraging from birth.

Other: Arrival of opportunistic sparrows have selected for flighty, shy individuals that nest in low, inconspicuous spaces. They prefer the dense cover of shrubs and tangled mulberry, as well as thick grass over.  They exhibit mild physical neoteny in that they retain a shorter body and longer legs of the Zootoca vivipara young, and don't develop the more serpentine body of the adult Z. vivipara. They are lighter, faster runners as adults now than the more energy-conservative adult ancestors.

Subspecies:

• Central Soloan Land Lizard - Found in the area North of Soloa's central mountains and across to the North Western tip. This is a light sandy coloured speckled species with only greyish darkening on it's head and tail in males - no blue. They are the most tolerant subspecies of open, exposed habitat and are additionally found up in the central mountains of Soloa. They are also the smallest, only up to 15 cm. They have the widest range but are not the most populous as they are thinly dispersed over the harsher habitat.

• Giant Soloan Land Lizard - Found in the area South East of the central mountains. This subspecies has clearer markings and is a similar sandy yellow to V. m. centralis. They dwell in subtropical deciduous shrubland habitat and are the largest subspecies, up to 30 cm due to a convenient mix of open space, shelter and plenty of food. Adults can drive off sparrows easily and are more a threat to the sparrows than the other way around.

• Shrubland Soloan Land Lizard - Found in the greenest Southernmost area, thick dense shrubland with few to no open breaks. This subspecies has more browns and oranges, as well as clearer less random patterns along it's body with lateral strips of light and dark. Males also have a very dark rich blue head and tail in the mating season, but this turns a blush grey like the females out of season.

• Pioneer Soloan Land Lizard - Found on the first island East of the mainland. Up to 19 cm, with competition over resources and space driving the size increase. Adults can drive off sparrows. Such sized adults sport bright blue heads and tails, and have pale sandy bodies and markings.