Italian Wall Lizard Populations

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Carl98
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Joined: May 28th, 2017, 6:02 pm
Location: Pittstown, NJ

Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Carl98 »

Hello,
I mostly herp in the NY/NJ area tracking down Wall Lizard populations. I have managed to find them in 4 of the 5 boroughs as well as NY state & NJ. I have absolutely fallen in love with these little guys in the past year or so since I first saw them in Westbury, NY. I am mainly trying to track down the population in Manhattan to concur all 5 boroughs and more populations in Brooklyn cause ... BROOKLYN!!!! Would anyone happen to know where the Manhattan population is or any others in the NY Metro area? Below is a list of all the population I know of, any additional info would be greatly appreciated.

New Jersey
-Mnt Laurel Municipal Area & Adjacent Neighborhood Verified

Pennsylvania
-Bucks County, not sure where though.

New York State
-Hasting-On-Hudson Verified
-Much of Central Nassau County (Garden City, Hempstead, Westbury) Verified

The Bronx
-New York Botanical Gardens Verified
-Pelham Bay Park (Searched but couldn't find any, info on where in park would be greatly appreciated)

Queens
-Queens College Verified
-Queens Botanical Gardens Verified
-Mnt Zion Cemetery Verified
-Much of the Queens Cemetery Belt

Brooklyn
-Washing Cemetery Verified
-Freinds Field Verified
-Cypress Hills Cemetery
-Highland Park Verified

-Brooklyn College????

Staten Island
-Historic Richmondtown Verified
-United Hebrew Cemetery Verified
-New Dorp???

Connecticut
-Cos Cobs Train Station & RR Right-of-Way south to the bridge Verified
-Neighborhood east of tracks/ south of railway station Verified

Massachusetts
-Fenway Victory Gardens Boston
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Sounds like a fun project. Have you done a literature search, and also checked out VertNet for records?
Carl98
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Carl98 »

I've done literature research, a few articles I'm still digging for. Havnt checked out Vert Net, haft to do that, I also use iNaturalist & Eddsmaps a lot too. Had a few conversations with Dr. Bruke at Hofstra too. Was pretty proud I found the population in Joplin, MO a few months ago when I was out there
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Carl98 wrote:I've done literature research, a few articles I'm still digging for. Havnt checked out Vert Net, haft to do that, I also use iNaturalist & Eddsmaps a lot too. Had a few conversations with Dr. Bruke at Hofstra too. Was pretty proud I found the population in Joplin, MO a few months ago when I was out there
How long has that population been there? I wasn't aware of it (not that I follow wall lizards too closely, but I did enjoy finding them in Topeka, KS).
Carl98
Posts: 17
Joined: May 28th, 2017, 6:02 pm
Location: Pittstown, NJ

Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Carl98 »

chris_mcmartin wrote:
Carl98 wrote:I've done literature research, a few articles I'm still digging for. Havnt checked out Vert Net, haft to do that, I also use iNaturalist & Eddsmaps a lot too. Had a few conversations with Dr. Bruke at Hofstra too. Was pretty proud I found the population in Joplin, MO a few months ago when I was out there
How long has that population been there? I wasn't aware of it (not that I follow wall lizards too closely, but I did enjoy finding them in Topeka, KS).
Only a couple years. A guy from Joplin caught a few in Topeka and either deliberetly or accidently released them. Here's an article about them
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 4MzSYXPd4w
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Martti Niskanen
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Martti Niskanen »

I'm expecting a paper or a thesis of your work. QI.
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mattg
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Location: Rancho Cucamonga, Ca

Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by mattg »

there is a verified population in san pedro california as well
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by BillMcGighan »

In the late sixties, though none could probably prove it, or admit it, many folks interested in herps attributed the Lawrence, KS, 1962 population to a release by a herpetology student at the University of Kansas. This was often accompanied by a wink and a nod! :lol:
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by chris_mcmartin »

BillMcGighan wrote:In the late sixties, though none could probably prove it, or admit it, many folks interested in herps attributed the Lawrence, KS, 1962 population to a release by a herpetology student at the University of Kansas. This was often accompanied by a wink and a node! :lol:
Hard to say definitively. Haven't heard of any in Lawrence. The Topeka population centers around the former location of a pet store. Anecdotally, they don't spread any further because the native Great Plains Skinks (found on the outskirts of town) are said to eat them.
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by BillMcGighan »

The Kansas Herp Atlas ( http://webapps.fhsu.edu/ksfauna/herps/i ... ra=&map=ks ) shows them appearing in 1999, but I talked to folks in 1969 that had caught some near the university, and they said it was a 1962 population.


Your right about Topeka, Chris, or close enough:

In Topeka one of the most compelling stories is told by Larry Miller, a retired science teacher. He claims "the animals have been traced to a biological supply house known as Quivira Specialities, near S.W. 21st and Gage. Operated by a respected scientist, the business wasn’t a pet store. Rather, it supplied a variety of animals — including snakes, birds, lizards, turtles — to such places as public schools and universities."

There seems to be several stories of how they got out, but nothing substantiated!

I can totally believe the story that Great Plains Skinks limits them, after watching one in Oklahoma pin, crush, and eat a Sceloporous!!!
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by BillMcGighan »

CNAH has what is probably a more credible history where it was the Topeka population that was recorded in 1962!

http://www.cnah.org/khs/khs_pubs/JKH_34.pdf
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kevin h
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by kevin h »

I know of a verified population on the KY side of the Ohio River across from Cincinnati. I'm pretty sure John MacGregor, the state herpetologist who works for fish and game has been surveying it for several years. It's even on the Lizards of Kentucky poster :lol: :lol: .
Carl98
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Location: Pittstown, NJ

Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Carl98 »

kevin h wrote:I know of a verified population on the KY side of the Ohio River across from Cincinnati. I'm pretty sure John MacGregor, the state herpetologist who works for fish and game has been surveying it for several years. It's even on the Lizards of Kentucky poster :lol: :lol: .
Those are a sister species known as the European Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis). Going out to Chicago in July, going to,amake a pit-stop out on my way in Cinncinati to check them out.
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csalemi731
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Location: New York

Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by csalemi731 »

I frequent Pelham Bay Park and have seen them basking on the track when no one is out for a jog. A friend and former colleague Robert Mendyk is done some work regarding them in the NY area. his publication will pop up if you do a search for his name
Carl98
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Carl98 »

csalemi731 wrote:I frequent Pelham Bay Park and have seen them basking on the track when no one is out for a jog. A friend and former colleague Robert Mendyk is done some work regarding them in the NY area. his publication will pop up if you do a search for his name
Are you talking the track that the American Boy statue overlooks? I've only been there looking on memorial day, couldn't find any but it was packed.
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csalemi731
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by csalemi731 »

Yes, that track.
Carl98
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Joined: May 28th, 2017, 6:02 pm
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Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Carl98 »

So, I took advantage of this past weekend with days reaching the 80s to see if the wall lizards were out. I visited Queens College & the Mnt Laurel population. In Queens, only a handful of individuals were present, about 10. 9 of them where adult dominant males. In mount laurel there were a decent amount out, females, juveniles & males were all out but the majority of them were males.
MysterySnake
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Joined: November 16th, 2021, 3:01 pm

Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by MysterySnake »

Try these locations:

Verified by me ...
Oxford Lane, Smithtown, Ny
Hull Ave, New Hyde Park, Ny
Clark Botanical Gardens, Albertson, Ny
Leeds Pond Park, Port Washington, Ny
Garden City Bird Sanctuary, Garden City, NY
Sports fields near 230 Poppy Ave, Franklin Square, NY

Heard about but have not investigated yet...
Near Barrasso ansd Sons 160 Floral Park St, Islip Terrace, NY
Jones Beach, NY
Hofstra University
Inwood Park
Hampton Bays, NY (half mile south of rail station)
Planting Fields Adboretum, Oyster Bay, NY
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Jefferson
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Location: Southwest Missouri

Re: Italian Wall Lizard Populations

Post by Jefferson »

I know this one has been dormant except the last post for a while, but on the topic of Topeka/KS/Heartland populations: there is a robust population of Italian Wall Lizards here in SW Missouri, in downtown Joplin, near the Joplin First Church on 4th Street. I went for a morning walk there a few Junes ago expecting to spend most of the morning and saw like 20 within 30 minutes!
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