Sand Lizard
Lacerta agilis
Where is it found?
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Coastal sand dunes and heathland
Diet and foraging method
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Hunter
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Key adaptations
Sand lizards have long slender bodies and long tails, so they can raise their body temperature by basking in the sun or being in contact with warm surfaces like rocks and the ground.
Social organisation and mating system
Polygynandry
Did you know that...?
The Sand Lizard is the UK's rarest lizard. Its eggs need to be buried in warm sand so that the sun's heat can incubate them. This consequently limits where the lizard can live (its range) and leads to its rarity.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Lacerta agilis 1 (Marek Szczepanek)". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lacerta_agilis_1_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg#/media/File:Lacerta_agilis_1_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg
"Jaszczurka 3" by Albertus teolog - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jaszczurka_3.jpg#/media/File:Jaszczurka_3.jpg
"Fighting Sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) 4295304" by Ermell - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fighting_Sand_lizards_(Lacerta_agilis)_4295304.jpg#/media/File:Fighting_Sand_lizards_(Lacerta_agilis)_4295304.jpg
"Jesterka" by Honyaboy from cs. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesterka.jpg#/media/File:Jesterka.jpg
"Lacerta agilis 2006 05 06cq" by Rolf Gebhardt - photo taken by Rolf Gebhardt. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lacerta_agilis_2006_05_06cq.jpg#/media/File:Lacerta_agilis_2006_05_06cq.jpg
"Lacerta agilis 2 (Marek Szczepanek)". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lacerta_agilis_2_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg#/media/File:Lacerta_agilis_2_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg
"Lacerta agilis 1 (Marek Szczepanek)". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lacerta_agilis_1_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg#/media/File:Lacerta_agilis_1_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg
"Jaszczurka 3" by Albertus teolog - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jaszczurka_3.jpg#/media/File:Jaszczurka_3.jpg
"Fighting Sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) 4295304" by Ermell - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fighting_Sand_lizards_(Lacerta_agilis)_4295304.jpg#/media/File:Fighting_Sand_lizards_(Lacerta_agilis)_4295304.jpg
"Jesterka" by Honyaboy from cs. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesterka.jpg#/media/File:Jesterka.jpg
"Lacerta agilis 2006 05 06cq" by Rolf Gebhardt - photo taken by Rolf Gebhardt. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lacerta_agilis_2006_05_06cq.jpg#/media/File:Lacerta_agilis_2006_05_06cq.jpg
"Lacerta agilis 2 (Marek Szczepanek)". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lacerta_agilis_2_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg#/media/File:Lacerta_agilis_2_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg