Common Lizard

• despite its name and the fact that it is the only species of reptile native to Ireland, the common lizard is a rare sight
• its body is usually brown but can also range to yellow and green
• it has a series of stripes and spots along its back and tail and is paler underneath
• the adults reach a length of around 13 to 20cm. with females being generally larger than males
• the young are produced live and not from eggs as is normal with reptiles, and range in number from three to eleven which are immediately self-sufficient and grow quickly
• they are long-bodied with very short legs, a small, rounded head and a thick tail
• lifespan: up to 12 years.
• these animals occupy a range of habitats, including woodland, marshes, heath, moors, bogs, sand-dunes and even rubbish dumps
• the common lizard lacks the ability to maintain a constant body temperature, basking in the sun to warm itself and as a result can often be seen sunning itself on dry stone walls, rocks or logs during the summer months
• because they rely on the sun's heat to remain active, lizards are forced to hibernate through the Irish winter
• they disappear around October and hibernate until the following March, often in groups, occasionally emerging during warmer spells
• during the warmer months it emerges to feed on insects, spiders, slugs, snails and earthworms: pouncing on their prey and stunning it by shaking before swallowing it whole
• when active like this lizards often fall prey to a host of predators, including buzzards, blackbirds and foxes
• if caught by the tail, lizards have the ability to shed the lower portion, leaving a bemused predator with a twitching stump while the lizard makes good its escape - if it survives the encounter the lizard will soon grow a new tail