Best time to see: Apr to mid Oct
Key facts
A legless lizard that is often mistaken for a snake, often found basking under debris
Likes plenty of cover and some dampness: gardens, allotments, hedges, woods, heaths
Found across most of Europe, excluding Ireland, and most of Britain; legally protected
Recognition
Uniform bronze or grey and, unlike snakes, with eyelids it can close; average length 40 cm of which about half is tail
Spends much of its life underground, emerging at dawn and dusk to hunt for slugs; slow-moving and secretive
Gains heat under sun-warmed objects rather than basking in the open; easiest to see emerging from hibernation late spring
Lifecycle
Females use their bodies as mobile incubators, moving round with the sun, producing egg sacs in early autumn
Young are only about 5cm long at birth, silvery-gold with black stripes, but grow rapidly, doubling in size in a few days
Hibernate underground from October to April, or less in mild winters.
© David Corke