Ratas Island lizard

The Ratas Island lizard, Podarcis lilfordi rodriquezi, is an extinct subspecies of Lilford's wall lizard that once lived on Ratas Island, a tiny, rocky island in the bay of Mahón, Menorca (Spain). But Ratas island, which was its habitat, was destroyed when Port Mahon was rebuilt. The last sign of this subspecies was in 1950 and is presumed extinct. Four specimens of this European lizard are conserved in museum collections.

Ratas Island lizard
Conservation status
Extinct (1950)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Podarcis
Species:	P. lilfordi
Subspecies:	†P. l. rodriquezi
Trinomial name
†Podarcis lilfordi rodriquezi (Müller, 1927)

Ratas Island was located between the Isla del Rey (in the center of the photo) and the southern shore (to its right)

See also

• List of extinct animals of Europe

References

• David Day, 1981, The Doomsday Book of Animals, Ebury Press, London.

External links

• The Sixth Extinction - Species Info - Ratas Island Lizard