Common Wall Lizard
Identification: Flattened, slender lizard. Body length up to 7 cm, usually smaller. Original tail 1.7 to more than 2 times the body length. (A regenerated tail is shorter and less colourful than the original one). Long legs and toes. The collar is not serrated and the scales are scarcely keeled. Back usually mid to dark greyish brown. Over the middle of the back, there is often a dark stripe, mainly in females. In many individuals, this stripe occurs as a row of spots. Females often have two pale dorsolateral streaks, with a dark band between them. Adult males have a chequered pattern of blotches on the flanks, and sometimes this pattern is reticulated. In females, the belly is usually light coloured, whitish or yellowish orange, with some small dark spots. In males, the colour of the belly is more intense, more orange red, with many larger black spots. Males have a relatively much larger head and longer hind legs and more often blue spots on the borders of the ventral scales. Newborn young are dark brown to black but soon they become lighter, more rusty brown.
Range: Occurs in a large part of Europe. In the British Isles, the subspecies Podarcis muralis brogniardi occurs on Jersey. The Common Wall Lizard has been introduced to the Isle of Wight, East Sussex, Dorset, Devon, Surrey and south-east London. Most of these colonies are of the typical form of this species, the subspecies P. m. muralis. Some are of the north-west Italian subspecies P. m. nigriventris. These have a green back, heavily marked with black spots or stripes and a heavily black-spotted belly (especially in males).
Habitat: Sunny walls or south facing rocky situations in which sufficient hiding places are present and surrounded by rather rough vegetation to forage. In the south of its range, it occurs in a variety of habitats. Often occurs in mountainous areas up to altitudes of 2300 metres, in the Pyrenees up to 2700 metres.
Habits: Active from March to October, depending on weather conditions. On very sunny and warm days, individuals are sometimes active in February or even January. The breeding season is from the end of March until mid-June. The males have a territory at this time and defend this very aggressively. In this period, you can often see the animals basking in pairs. Eggs are laid in May or June in loose humid soil in sunny spots, often in holes in a wall or under stones. Young can be born from July to September. Newly born young have a body length of about 2-2.5 cm. The young often migrate to new suitable habitats. Common Wall Lizards are very fast and climb very well. Large numbers can occur in favoured spots. They feed on all kinds of invertebrates, like spiders and insects. They hibernate in crevices in walls and in holes, often abandoned ones of other animals like mice. Hibernation is from October to March, depending on weather conditions.
How to find: These animals can be seen from March to October. The best time is from April to June. Most breeding activity takes place in this period, so the animals are very active. The best chance is on sunny days in the morning or afternoon. In bad weather conditions and on very hot days, the animals retreat into their shelters.