[2] It is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.

[1][3] Its natural habitats are temperate forests, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, and pastureland.

[3] These lizards display three ventral color morphs: yellow, orange and white.

A male that is an orange color morph is seen as a more dominant male than any other morph in intrasexual competition, since the orange color displays the lizard as more aggressive.

Orange morph lizards have a larger size and bite force so they can ward off competing males in order to mate with a female of choice and claim territory [4] In this species of lizards, the females prefer the orange males since the orange males are bigger and healthier and can give a female's offspring high quality indirect benefits.