Sand lizard
18 October 2010
The sand lizard is our largest and rarest lizard. It lays eggs in bare sand, and the young hatch out in late summer. Much of its former habitat has been destroyed through development, or has become unsuitable due to shading as scrub takes over. It is restricted to lowland heaths and sand dunes. Until recently sand lizards could only be found in small parts of Dorset, Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and the Sefton Coast. Thanks to a reintroduction programme operated by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (with support from Natural England), sand lizards have been returned to other areas they used to occur in, such as Devon.
Male sand lizard © BWPA-Geoff Simpson*
Latin name: Lacerta agilis
Population numbers:
precise national figures unknown. There are around 300 populations, and it’s thought that around 80% of the range has been lost over the last century.
Where to see and when:
Sand lizards are timid and well camouflaged, which means that they are often difficult to spot. The best places to look are along the edges of tracks on heathlands, amongst heather, on warm spring days.
What’s being done:
Conservation management aims to create areas suitable for sand lizards. This involves clearing trees, scrub and bracken, and creating open sandy patches where the lizards can lay their eggs. A handbook was published in 2010 to help site managers understand how to improve habitats for reptiles, including sand lizards. The reintroduction programme means that sand lizards bred in zoos and private collections can be released to carefully prepared sites in their former range. Surveys are being done to discover any remaining undetected populations, and to track the status of known colonies. Much of the survey work is done by volunteers, trained by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.
More information:
* Geoff Simpson was the IYB category winner in the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2010
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Native plants, fungi and animals we featured each week for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.
