A genus of three species formerly considered as members of the Lacerta genus. The EMBL database notes that Timon is actually a "subgenus" of Lacerta. T. lepidus is well known among herpetologists but the other two species are rarely seen if ever in captivity.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Timon | ||||
| T. lepida | Ocellated Lizard, Jewelled Lizard, Eyed Lizard | Iberian peninsula, S France, N Italy | ?" | More usually known by the species name Lacerta lepida. |
| T. pater | North African Ocellated Lizard | Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco | 20" | Originally a subspecies of L. lepida but raised to full species status by Bischoff, 1982. T. p. tangitana is the western, T. p. pater the eastern subspecies, separated from one another by the Oued Mouloya valley.. There are no other lizards similar to this within its range. The species is a basic green or brown, depending on subspecies and sex. Kästle et al note that these lizards prefer open landscape with sufficient cover and often bushes, but are otherwise quite catholic, using meadows, dense low shrubs, thorn thickets, and rocky areas such as outcrops or slopes. Olive groves and stone walls are examples of man-made cover exploited by T. pater (as indeed by T. lepida in SW Europe). Apart from the usual invertebrates, T. pater may take frogs, small snakes and young birds. Breeding takes place in April, with 2-3 clutches, of about 2-20 eggs, being laid at about 4 week intervals (14-18 days after mating) throughout the year. Hatchlings are olive brown with white ocelli. Sexual maturity is reached (at least in captivity, see Kästle et al) in about 1 year. |
| T. p. pater | Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco | 21" | Distinguishable from T. p. tangitana by its wider snout with its slightly different scalation. There is also greater sexual dimorphism in this subspecies: males tend to have a yellow throat with weakly expressed and closed ocelli, whereas females have greenish throats and more distinct ocelli (Kästle et al). The base of the tail is the same colour as the dorsum. | |
| T. p. tangitana | Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco | 17" | Distinguishable from T. p. pater by its narrower snout with its slightly different scalation. There is usually a reticulated pattern on the dorsum, as opposed to the plain patterning more usually found on T. p. pater (esp. among the females). The base of the tail is usually dark brown. | |
| T. princeps | ? | SW Iran, SE Turkey, NE Syria, N Iraq | 16" | Attractively coloured lacertid. In Iran it occupies the oak forests of the Zagros mountains. |
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