Individual islet subpopulations are likely to represent Evolutionarily Significant Units (despite shallow genetic divergence - Rodriguez et al. 2013), and as many as 28 morphological subspecies have been proposed ( Rodriguez et al. 2013, Salvador et al. 2015).

The Ibiza Wall Lizard is endemic to Europe, where it is restricted to the Balearic Islands, Spain. The species is assessed as Endangered globally and for the EU 27 Member States on the basis that it is projected to lose most of its remaining range, and suffer a comparable decline in the number of mature individuals within the next 10 years (i.e. the period 2023–2033), following an estimated 50% decline on Ibiza since 2010 resulting from the expansion of the invasive Horseshoe Whip Snake. The snake is projected to spread across the entirety of the main island of Ibiza by 2028, with the likely consequence that the Ibiza Wall Lizard may be entirely lost from Ibiza very soon afterwards, corresponding to the loss of up to 75% of the global population in the 10-year period from 2023. It is also likely to be lost from many of the offshore islets, where one extinction has already been recorded within months of the invasive snake's arrival, with an ongoing population decline of 50% inferred.

This species is endemic to the islands of Ibiza and Formentera, and nearby rocky islets, in the Balearic Islands of Spain. It is known from a total of 38 offshore islets although it is now believed to have become extinct on at least one of these, apparently between August 2017 and June 2018, following the introduction of the invasive snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis (Montes et al. 2021a). It ranges from sea level up to 475 m asl.

The Ibiza Wall Lizard has been introduced to several areas on Mallorca (Speybroeck et al. 2016), Barcelona (where it is now extinct), Denia town (southern Spain) and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe and Monte Urgull (northern Spain). Subpopulations on Mallorca and Denia resulted from passive transport, but the others may have been deliberate since they are not associated with harbours or other transport infrastructure (M.A. Carretero pers. comm. October 2022).

It can be common in parts of Ibiza where invasive snakes are absent, especially on small islets. Speybroeck et al. (2016) state that it can reach densities of up to 30,000 per ha. This figure is however considered an overestimate probably extrapolated from observations in localities where the species remains locally abundant, and the density reported by Salvador (2015) - 1,428 ind. / ha - is considered more realistic (E. Montes and J.M. Pleguezuelos pers. comm. 2023). Surveys of 29 line transects in 2018 (following a methodology described in detail by Montes et al. 2021a) in areas both with and without established whipsnakes found that the lizard was no longer present in all but one of 15 transects with snakes, but that subpopulations along snake-free transects appeared "healthy" (Montes et al. 2021a). Repeated surveys in 2018 and 2019 on nine of the offshore islets, including those considered most likely to be colonised by snakes based on the direction of marine currents, found high densities on five and "very low" densities on three (Montes et al. 2021a). Neither the lizard nor any sign of a surviving population was found in three surveys of the 0.4 ha islet S'Ora during this period, although it had been common here as late as August 2017, and the suggestion that the species is now extinct here is supported by an observation of a snake swimming as close as 20 m to the islet shortly before this survey (Montes et al. 2021a).

The precise rate of decline over the next 10 years is uncertain, and data from Formentera are limited, however, modelling suggests that the invasive snake may colonise the entire island of Ibiza by 2028 (Montes et al. 2021b). These authors suggest that the lizard may be "totally lost" from this island (which represents approximately 83% of the species' original range, and about 75% of its range as of 2018) by 2028, although the discovery of one snake-invaded locality where a lizard subpopulation survived suggests it may have a very limited ability to persist alongside the invasive snake (J.M. Pleguezuelos pers. comm. 2023). Projecting rates of decline between 2018 and 2028 Montes et al. (2021b) hypothesised that these were likely to be between 50 and 80%, justifying their proposed Red List Category of Endangered as the 10 year period is expected to exceed three generations. Although more recent data are unavailable, the rate of decline is expected to be comparable over the 10 years between 2023 and 2033 and a decline in excess of 80% is regarded as unlikely (J.M. Pleguezuelos pers. comm. 2023).

This species is largely found in vegetated areas, such as cultivated land and gardens, close to and around human habitation. It is reported to be less abundant in closed wooded areas (Speybroeck et al. 2016), although Montes et al. (2021a) found that among their transects its density was positively correlated with tree density. It may act as a pollinator for certain plants, although it largely preys on invertebrates (Speybroeck et al. 2016). It also occurs in rocky areas, especially in coastal regions. The females lay between one and four eggs. A maximum age of 18 years has been recorded in captivity, but its longevity in the wild is unknown (Bannert 1998, Jesus 2012).

A number of islet populations are threatened by disturbance by visitors and the introduction of cats and rats to the islands. The species however remains highly abundant on many offshore islets (J.M. Pleguezuelos pers. comm. 2022). Accidental poisoning with bait left for seagulls has previously been proposed as a possible threat (Pérez-Mellado et al. 2009), however, this type of bait is no longer used on Ibiza (E. Montes pers. comm. 2023).

The invasive Horseshoe Whip Snake Hemmorhois hippocrepis was first reported from Ibiza in 2003 and was probably first detected shortly after its introduction (Montes et al. 2021b). It remained confined to an area of around 1,080 ha until 2010, after which it expanded rapidly (Montes et al. 2021a,b). This snake feeds preferentially on lizards, with the wall lizard making up 56% of prey items in samples studied by Hinckley et al. (2017). Modelling by Montes et al. (2021) suggested that the snake's geographic range on the island had expanded linearly since 2010, producing a conservative estimate that it was present across 50% of the island by 2018 and that it will occur island-wide by 2027-2028 (Montes et al. 2021b). As their surveys suggested the lizard is rapidly excluded from areas where the snake has become established, this implies that it had been lost from at least half of Ibiza by the end of 2020 and that its complete extinction on the island is likely "in the next several years" unless conservation measures are immediately implemented to control the invasive snake. Transport is continuous between Ibiza and Formentera, and an eventual invasion of this island is likely (Montes et al. 2021b).

Another invasive snake, the Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris), is presently found on Formentera, and as a small population on Ibiza (J.M. Pleguezuelos pers. comm. 2023). Unexpectedly this species, which typically preys on mammals, has been found to prey on the lizard on Formentera (J.M. Pleguezuelos and M. Carretero pers. comm. 2023). Any population-level impacts are unclear, but the snake co-occurs with the lizard and while it is considered a threat its predation capacity is probably not "outstanding" (J.M. Pleguezuelos and M. Carretero pers. comm. 2023). Whether it includes lizards in its diet in Ibiza is presently unknown, and it is understood to feed mainly on birds and mammals on this island (J.M. Pleguezuelos and M. Carretero pers. comm. 2023). Although complete eradication of the ladder snake is unlikely in the short term, efforts at control appear to have limited both its expansion and numbers (M. Carretero pers. comm. 2023).

During their surveys, Montes et al. (2021a) observed snakes swimming far from shore and on several offshore islets. A recognised subspecies from the islet S'Ora, Podarcis pityusensis hortae, is believed to have become extinct within 10 months (Montes et al. 2021a). This suggests that the snake will inevitably reach Formentera and other offshore islands, in which case it will rapidly drive the species to global extinction (Montes et al. 2021b). Evidence of the presence of individual snakes has been found (the presence of shed skins or sighting records) on two further islets: S'Espaerter, where the species was still abundant as recently as the 2019 survey, and Grossa; near the islet of Murada; and on Pou de Lleó, a beach on mainland Ibiza close to the islet of Tagomago (Montes et al. 2021a). The latter exhibited the lowest lizard density of any offshore islet, which Montes et al. (2021) suggest is likely to be attributable to predation by the single observed snake on this islet. The subspecies P. pityuensis muradae may be at particularly imminent risk of extinction as a snake was observed close to Sa Murada, the islet to which it is endemic (Montes et al. 2021a). The presence of at least one snake on S'Esparter may be especially notable, as this islet is not close to the area of Ibiza that had been invaded by the time of this survey (Montes et al. 2021a). These authors suggest that the species may be lost from more of Ibiza's offshore islets within the next decade.

The species is still illegally collected from the wild as live animals, particularly those with spectacular colours, which frequently appear in meetings of terrarium keepers (M.A. Carretero pers. comm. October 2022). Some of these may have been the origin of some introduced populations (M.A. Carretero pers. comm. October 2022).

This species is listed in Annex II of the Bern Convention and on Appendix II of CITES.

It occurs in some protected areas, which at present evidently do not provide sufficient protection against the impacts of invasive snakes. Trapping and removal efforts have been implemented by the Balearic and the Ibizan Governments, but are clearly insufficient to protect this lizard at present (Montes et al. 2021b). Montes et al. (2021b) propose six key conservation actions that need to be implemented with extreme urgency in order to prevent the extinction of this lizard: to establish captive assurance colonies either in situ or ex situ; to control the introduction of trees with which the snake is thought to have been introduced at least during the times of the year when the snakes use them as hibernacula; reinforce existing eradication campaigns for invasive species; develop rapid response protocols to permit action to be taken when snakes are detected in novel areas; and to develop scientific research and public education in support of these initiatives. Further research is needed to obtain more data on the species' ecology and to clarify the precise impacts of the invasive snakes (J.M. Pleguezuelos pers. comm. 2023).