Best time to see: Apr to Nov
Key facts
The commonest lizard in Britain, basically brown but with many variations in colour and patterning
Habitat: hedges, scrub, open woods, heaths, rough grassland, field edges and even gardens
Widespread across most of Europe
Recognition
Short-legged lizard with rounded head and thick neck and tail; head and body about 6cm, tail up to twice as long again
Essentially ground-dwellers, although sometimes climb in vegetation; catch insects with their long tongues
On hot days emerge to bask in the sun in warm spots
Lifecycle
Give birth to fully-formed young in holes or cracks in the ground
Young are very dark, almost black
Winter months passed in a state of torpor in a frost-free refuge such as a hole in the ground or a rock crevice
© Tony Gunton
© Phil Luke