Introduced common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) conquer the gardens of Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island NADIA GRESCHUK, 2010 We live at Damelart Way, Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island which is part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. We are north of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula. You can use Google to locate us precisely as our area has been photographed both from the air and on land. We are a few kilometres north of Durrance Road where the defunct zoo was located. The lizards are common throughout our village. My garden has a raised garden bed that is south facing and has some large rocks. This is the first place in the spring where I find the lizards. We also have a wooden deck attached to the house. I often see them emerging from underneath. We enjoy watching them scurry about and often leaping to get away from us. My Garden Club newsletter has a short item on the lizards on page 9. Podarcis muralis maculiventris (pair) Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island Photo: Nadia Greschuk

Note: Deichsel, G. & S. Schweiger (2004) (Geographic Distribution. Podarcis muralis. – Herpetol. Rev., 35 (3): 289-290) determined the genotype of the Wall Lizards on Vancouver Island as Podarcis muralis maculiventris, originating from the northern border of the Apenninn Mountains near the city of Bologna, Italy.