First Pleistocene records of a colubrid snake and wall lizard Podarcis CF. Filfolensis (Bedriaga, 1876) (reptilia : Colubridae, Lacertidae) from Għar il-Fkieren (Fimbank Site), Malta

Abstract

Għar il-Fkieren is a solution pipe fissure discovered in 2010 during construction in Paceville, Malta, which has yielded a significant Late Pleistocene fossil assemblage, dated to ca. 63 to 53,000 years ago. Excavated by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the 10-metre-deep fissure contained Quaternary deposits rich in skeletal remains, including those of large vertebrates (cervids, tortoises, avifauna) and microfauna, such as Microtus melitensis, Crocidura sicula, Bufotes viridis, and Chiroptera. This study reports the first fossil evidence of a small colubrid snake and a wall lizard (Podarcis cf. filfolensis) in Malta’s Pleistocene record, both identified through skeletal morphology. These newly documented herpetofaunal taxa bridge gaps in the faunal record and offer new insights into island endemism and faunal turnover from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene.