Sand lizard fact file
The
Sand lizard fact file
- Common name – Sand lizard
- Scientific name – Lacerta agilis
- Size – average length of an adult is around 20cm
- Identification tips – sand lizards have relatively broad bodies giving a low, stocky appearance. The underlying pattern and colour of both male and female is a mottled brown and beige, particularly along the back. The most striking feature appears on the males, the flanks are predominantly a speckled green which becomes more intense in the breeding season.
- Preferred habitat – sandy heathlands and sand dunes.
- Diet – primarily carnivores, sand lizards will eat any type of insect and invertebrate eg beetles, spiders, worms, slugs…
- Breeding – eggs are laid in a small sandy hollow during the months of June and July. The baby lizards emerge around six weeks later.
- Other points – once nearly extinct in Britain, sand lizards are now protected by law, and are still classed as an endangered species. Numerous successful breeding progammes across the UK have resulted in an increase in the sand lizard population, but there are still only a few places where they live, the heathlands of the New Forest being one of them.
Related Pages:
A Guide to Camping, Fishing, and Embracing Nature
Venturing into untamed landscapes offers a rare sense of freedom, detaching you from daily routines. Imagine greeting the dawn surrounded by nature’s chorus, enveloped by foliage and open skies, with endless possibilities awaiting your discovery.
Cycling Through National Parks
Love cycling through national parks? Imagine the soft hum of bike tires on a winding path under blue skies, with the scent of pine needles in the air and a deer glimpsed in the distance!
Forest Camping Adventures with Your Dog
Picture taking a spontaneous walk through the wild New Forest with your pet, where every sniff and paw print tells a unique story in nature’s vast manuscript. The New Forest offers beautiful scenery and friendly
Charity Events to Take Part in
Charity Events to Take Part in Around the New Forest If you are ready to do something good and make a difference in the world, you will be pleased to hear that there are
Spring Camping Trip with Mum
Planning a spring camping trip with your mother can transform a typical Mother’s Day into an enduring tale. New Forest, with its sprawling heaths and ancient woodlands, becomes the perfect canvas for this memory. Yet
World Clean Up Day
National and World Cleanup Day takes place on the third Saturday of September. World Clean Up Day is a beloved event that mobilizes people to protect the environment by cleaning litter and eliminating waste in