Sand Lizard
Encyclopedia
The sand lizard is a lacertid
lizard
distributed across most of Europe and eastwards to Mongolia
. It does not occur in the Iberian peninsula
or European Turkey
. Its distribution is often patchy.
The sand lizard has a light underbelly and a dorsal stripe: males tend to be darker and colour and turn partly or wholly bright green during the mating season. Sand Lizards can reach up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in length.
It has several subspecies
, the westernmost of which is Lacerta agilis agilis. In this and the other main western sub-species (Lacerta agilis argus) the dorsal stripe is thin and interrupted, or not present at all. This applies particularly to the latter subspecies, which also includes a plain red or brown-backed phase without any dorsal markings. In these two sub-species only the flanks of the males turn green in the mating season, but in the eastern subspecies (predominantly Lacerta agilis exigua) males can be wholly green, even outside the breeding season.
In the UK, the sand lizard is restricted to southern heathland
s and the coastal sand dunes of north west England. It is regarded as threatened and is strictly protected under UK law – as it is throughout most of Europe (it is a European Protected Species
). This is in contrast to Lacerta agilis exigua, whose Russian
name translates as the "common lizard".
The female Sand Lizard lays eggs in loose sand in a sunny location, leaving them to be incubated by the warmth of the ground.
The UK Herpetological Conservation Trust
is the lead partner in the UK Species Action Plan
(SAP) for the Sand Lizard.
Dardanelle High School, located in Arkansas, is the only school with the Sand Lizard as a mascot.
Lacertidae
Lacertidae is the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. The group includes the genus Lacerta, which contains some of the most commonly seen lizard species in Europe...
lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
distributed across most of Europe and eastwards to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. It does not occur in the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
or European Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Its distribution is often patchy.
The sand lizard has a light underbelly and a dorsal stripe: males tend to be darker and colour and turn partly or wholly bright green during the mating season. Sand Lizards can reach up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in length.
It has several subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, the westernmost of which is Lacerta agilis agilis. In this and the other main western sub-species (Lacerta agilis argus) the dorsal stripe is thin and interrupted, or not present at all. This applies particularly to the latter subspecies, which also includes a plain red or brown-backed phase without any dorsal markings. In these two sub-species only the flanks of the males turn green in the mating season, but in the eastern subspecies (predominantly Lacerta agilis exigua) males can be wholly green, even outside the breeding season.
In the UK, the sand lizard is restricted to southern heathland
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
s and the coastal sand dunes of north west England. It is regarded as threatened and is strictly protected under UK law – as it is throughout most of Europe (it is a European Protected Species
European Protected Species
European Protected Species are species of plants and animals protected by law throughout the European Union. They are listed in Annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive....
). This is in contrast to Lacerta agilis exigua, whose Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
name translates as the "common lizard".
The female Sand Lizard lays eggs in loose sand in a sunny location, leaving them to be incubated by the warmth of the ground.
The UK Herpetological Conservation Trust
Herpetological Conservation Trust
The Herpetological Conservation Trust is a British wildlife charity for the conservation of herpetofauna: amphibians and reptiles. It was founded in 1989 by Vincent Weir and Ian Swingland of DICE and launched at the First World Congress of Herpetology in Canterbury that year...
is the lead partner in the UK Species Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
(SAP) for the Sand Lizard.
Dardanelle High School, located in Arkansas, is the only school with the Sand Lizard as a mascot.
See also
- Hesketh Golf LinksHesketh Golf LinksHesketh Golf Links is a 14.6 hectare Site of special scientific interest situated 2km north-east of Southport town centre. The site was notified in 1989 due to its biological features, in particular focusing on the presence of the nationally rare Sand lizard .-References:*...
, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK protected land), a UK habitat where sand lizards exist. - List of reptiles of Italy