Thursday 18 December 2008

Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Lacerta ("lizard") agilis ("agile")
Adult female Sand Lizard (subspecies L. a. agilis) at Non-public Site, UK - May 2012

Featured Subspecies: Lacerta agilis agilis
Weight: 12g  /  Length: 25cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Much larger and rarer than the common lizard, the Sand Lizard is a specialist of heath and dunes which feeds upon insects.  In breeding colours the males become bright green making them easy to tell apart from the always brown common lizards, but the pattern and size should differentiate them if you familiarise yourself with it.  They are a protected species only found in a limited number of sites in the UK.

Related Species:
Order:
Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Lacerta
SUBSPECIES: L .a. agilis, L. a. argus, L. a. exigua

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A very rare and local resident
 - Several individuals from a reintroduction scheme seen on a site not known to the public

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List. RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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