Lisa and I were walking along an area close to a river known as the Maxey Cut when Lisa noticed something on an old broken stile. We both thought that it was some sort of dropping, but on closer inspection as one of these droppings moved, it proved to be three Common Lizards basking in the warmth of the sun. I then noticed a couple more on a nearby log, five of these lovely reptiles in the space of 5 minutes! The largest one was almost completely flat, increasing his body size to take as much advantage of the sun as possible. They warmed up and were gone.
All photos taken with `hand-held` Canon A640 Powershot
Also known as the Viviparous Lizard, this is the commonest lizard in Britain. Their colour can vary from grey-brown to reddish and olive green, with variable stripes down the back and sometimes black blotches organized into rows down the back or flanks. They can grow up to 17cm in length, including the tail which they can shed as a defence mechanism. They give birth to up to 10 live young between June and September and their diet consists of insects, spiders, snails and earthworms, as well as other invertebrates.
