Wednesday 15 April 2015

Dorset Wall Lizard

I saw a few of these fellas scurrying about the rocks, and in and out amongst the stubby grass of Winspit Quarry today; I was unsure as to what they were, they weren't Common or Viviparous Lizards (Lacerta vivipara / Zootoca vivipara) nor were they Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis), so I took some photos and sent one off to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust. They turn out to be non native, Wall Lizards (Podarcis muralis), these ones commonly referred to now as Dorset Wall Lizards, having at least one breeding colony in the area; it happens that they can be frequently, though sometimes not so frequently, spotted around the Purbeck coastal quarries.Another effect of climate change, maybe?

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