Linda Downing, Devon
Selmunett lizard at Ħaġar Qim
I read with great interest in your newspaper (June 6) the article about the crab and lizard which are thought to be extinct in Malta. I felt I had to write and tell you that maybe all is not yet lost.
On our recent visit to Malta, we spent some time at Ħagar Qim. It was during this visit that we saw what I am sure was the Selmunett lizard.
We are very interested in wildlife, and take a delight in watching lizards in Malta. Until that time, we had only observed the small, swift goldish-green kind and the more rounded type with suckers on their feet.
Walking back down from the higher temple, nearly to the official in the shelter box, we saw three lizards, new to us. They were bigger, plumper and black, with brightly coloured specks.
I am sure this was a sighting of the Selmunett lizard. I do hope someone more knowledgeable that we are could go to this site and try to observe them.
We saw three different kinds of lizards in Malta this summer. I would like to ask how many types of lizard there are on the island.
We hope to visit Malta again soon.
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Arnold sciberras
Jul 25th 2010, 17:12
kindly see my answer on http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100725/letters/reptiles-at-hagar-qim
Jeffrey Sicberras
Jul 12th 2010, 12:47
I have to say that this letter makes no sense to me at all, even if it was for a good cause. As far as i'm concerned, there are no Maltese wall lizards present on the western coast or cliffs of the island of Malta, so the sighting must have been either an Ocellated skink or a Gecko. Selmunett island is near the North-East of the island of Malta, so no way that any lizard from there could be present at Hagar Qim, unless humans intervene. Filfla lizards are exclusive to Filfla. And by the way, sadly i'm 100% sure that the Selmunett subspecies is extinct. I visit the island yearly and never seen the lizard again since 2005.
Joseph Schembri
Jul 12th 2010, 20:32
No lizards on the western side of Malta? Rather a sweeping statement as I have sat down for hours near hagar qim and have seen several individual lizards. What I saw was the common P. filfolensis maltensis that is present on Malta, Gozo and Comino. (and Sicily) I have no idea about Selmunett as have never been there but I should. Recently there was a news item about the huge amount of human disturbance on Selmunett and I think rats were mentioned. Rats, which have been introduced by humans in so many pristine environments have wreaked havoc in many parts of the world by being predators of or competing for resources with native species.
Joseph Schembri
Jul 11th 2010, 17:47
Filfla has been isolated from the mainland for at least ten thousand years or so as have been the other islets. Even if we did not have the massive backing of DNA information for the theory of Evolution, the simple fact that there are distinct races and even species of organisms (both plant and animal) on these very close but isolated places is very clear backing for the Theory of Evolution. It illustrates how random mutations and natural or artificial selection give rise to new species.
Unlike genome evidence which is extremely strong but a bit 'invisible' to the layman the existence of these subspecies kicks huge holes in the beliefs of creationists.
Jeffrey Sciberras
Jul 14th 2010, 19:31
Dear Joseph, my brother is an expert in local wild herpetology and together we done several studies on the distribution of this species, and he knows the distribution of Podarcis filfolensis maltensis very well on the Maltese islands, and where on earth did you find or hear that in occurs in Sicily???, this subspecies is endemic to main three islands of Malta. While in Gozo and Comino it is found fairly common in the wild, in Malta itself it is found only in urban areas. if you have a photo of the Maltese wall lizard from Hagar Qim, send it to me and then i will believe you. i went several times there and never saw one, are you sure they weren't Occelated Skinks? About the Sicily part, there are species not found in Malta, such as Podarcis sicula and Podarcis muralis. The Maltese Wall Lizard also occurs as a different subspecies on the Pelagian islands, scientifically known as Podarcis filfolensis laurentimulleri. and by the way, there have been studies on the population genetics of Podarcis filfolensis.
Joseph Schembri
Jul 11th 2010, 17:39
But 'xahmet l-art' looks nothing like a wall lizard, at least to someone who as the letter writer says loves watching reptiles :-)
Raphael Vassallo
Jul 11th 2010, 18:31
Agreed - looks more like a snake with legs, I've always thought. But she didn;t say 'wall lizard'... just lizard.
Separately: have you considered the possibility that Podarcis filfolensis filfolensis may have crossed the channel and colonised the mainland? The description would fit....
Joseph Schembri
Jul 11th 2010, 18:48
How could it have crossed over to the mainland? Filfla is probably the most isolated of islets and it is also illegal (i think) for anyone to set foot on it without special permission. Moreover depending on just one observation and on colour alone is unrealiable. I was taught never to identify organisms by colour alone.
I'd love to be able to go there to see the endemic species there... if you are going to organise an expedition count me in :-) There is at least one endemic snail species and apparently a wild garlic too..... amazing really!
Raphael Vassallo
Jul 11th 2010, 17:20
Could also have been an ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus)...
Joseph Schembri
Jul 11th 2010, 16:13
There is only one species of lizard in all the Maltese islands. There are however 4 or 5 sub species according to how one defines 'sub-species'. The genus and species of all four (or five) is Podarcis filfolensis. Colour variation is very common between the sexes and also within the same sub species. What you call the 'rounded type with suckers on their feet' is not a lizard. It is a gecko. If you were at Hagar Qim the species that you saw is probably Tarentola mauritanica.
Incidentally the existence of the several subspecies of lizard on geographically isolated places (islands) but within a small radius of each other is an excellent illustration of evolution at work.