Also known as the Common’ Lizard, the Viviparous Lizard is better described as locally abundant.
Kent can still boast a number of sites where Viviparous Lizards occur in high numbers.
An animal of diverse habitats as varied as railway embankments, meadows and heathland, the Viviparous Lizard is however vulnerable to site mismanagement and in particular overgrazing.
Viviparous Lizards can often be spotted basking on sunny days from March through to October. Features such as logs, fence posts and rubble piles are favoured for basking. If disturbed they will often quickly return to the same spot.
Discarded tyres and other rubbish, though not terribly aesthetic to humans, are surprisingly good features to a Viviparous Lizard. Tyres and other rubbish absorb heat from the sun quickly and provide a useful refuge. It is always worth a careful look to see if lizards are basking on logs, tyres, discarded metal or wood in areas where they have not been previously recorded. Though still the most commonly seen of Kent’s indigenous reptiles, KRAG is always grateful for sighting reports so that conservation strategies can be formed and status monitored.
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Distribution in Kent
Other / Similar Species
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