Resource partition among lacertid lizards in southern Europe

Abstract

Twenty‐four species of lacertid lizards were examined at 31 sites in western Yugoslavia, Greece and Iberia. Comparative observations were made on over 4500 individual lizards, noting such features as times of activity, hunting methods, diet, micro‐ and macro‐habitat, refuges used and body temperature. These data are used as a basis for assessing resource partition in related sympatric species, for finding out whether different systematic groups have characteristic types of niche, and for comparing community structure in the three peninsulas of southern Europe.