City Lizards Get Their Day in the Sun

Herpetologist and Artist Kinsey Brock Studies how Reptiles Evolve in Urban Environments

By Susanne Clara Bard

In 1994, a Los Angeles resident vacationed in Taormina, a small coastal town on the coast of Sicily. He returned with seven Italian wall lizards (Podarcis siculus) in his suitcase and released them into his backyard in San Pedro, a neighborhood that’s home to a portion of the bustling Port of Los Angeles.

The small green and brown reptiles thrived in their new environment, according to San Diego State University herpetologist Kinsey Brock.

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