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What Our Animals Are Doing This Month

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Common Lizards

May is a fantastic time for spotting one of the UK’s most widespread reptiles, the common lizard. With longer, warmer days now well established, these small but hardy reptiles are fully active and making the most of the late spring sunshine.

At this time of year, common lizards can often be seen basking in open, sunny spots such as logs, rocks, and grassy banks. Basking is essential for them, helping to raise their body temperature so they can move quickly and hunt effectively. On a warm May morning, you might even spot several individuals taking advantage of the same sunlit patch.

Feeding activity is now in full swing. With plenty of insects around, common lizards are busy hunting spiders, beetles, and other small invertebrates. They are quick and agile predators, darting after prey with surprising speed before disappearing back into cover.

May is also right in the middle of their breeding season. Males are more active and may be seen competing for attention, sometimes showing brighter, greener, colouring and increased movement as they seek out females. These interactions are usually brief but are an important part of their life cycle. Unlike many reptiles, common lizards give birth to live young, which will arrive later in the summer.
As vegetation grows thicker, they can sometimes be harder to spot—but if you move quietly and keep a close eye on sunny edges of paths or clearings, you may catch a glimpse of one basking or scurrying through the grass.

This month is a brilliant opportunity to appreciate these often-overlooked reptiles as they thrive in the warmth of late spring—so next time you’re out and about, take a moment to look a little closer at the ground beneath your feet!

 

What our animals are doing this month

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Common Lizards in October

As the crisp days of October arrive in the UK, our native common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) enters one of the most important stages of its year: preparing for brumation (similar to hibernation, but animals will only come out during warmer periods in winter). These reptiles, often spotted basking in summer sunshine, are now shifting their behaviour to cope with falling temperatures and shorter days.

common lizard

 

Seasonal Behaviour

  • Reduced Activity: Being cold-blooded, lizards depend on external warmth to stay active. By October, the cooler air and weaker sunlight mean they spend far less time basking and feeding.

  • Searching for Shelter: Instead of roaming in search of prey, they begin looking for hibernation sites, known as hibernacula, where they will remain hidden until spring.

 

 

Choosing a Brumation Spot

Common lizards seek out safe places that provide:

  • Frost Protection – deep vegetation, old tree stumps, or burrows that stay above freezing.

  • Moisture – enough dampness to prevent dehydration, but not waterlogged.

  • Cover from Predators – hidden crevices or log piles that conceal them from birds, mammals, or even domestic pets.

These shelters are vital to survival, as a poorly chosen site could leave the lizard vulnerable during the long winter. Find out more about how to build shelters for wildlife at home on our website.  

 

Young Lizards in October

Juveniles, born in late summer, face an especially tough challenge. They have only a few weeks to feed and build strength before cold weather forces them underground. October is a critical month in their development, and only those that find secure hibernation spots are likely to emerge again in spring.

 

Spotting Lizards in Autumn

While sightings are less common, it is still possible to see lizards on mild October days. They may bask briefly in weak sunshine to top up their body heat before returning to cover. By the end of the month, however, most will have vanished from view completely.

If you spot dead (make sure they’re dead and not hibernating during the winter months) or diseased reptiles or amphibians, please report them to our partners at Garden Wildlife Health.

Remember to record any sightings on our free Dragon Finder app. This helps us see how reptiles are fairing in the UK. Reptiles are vastly under-reported! 

 

How You Can Help

If you manage a garden or local green space, you can make conditions friendlier for common lizards by:

  • Leaving log or rock piles undisturbed.

  • Avoiding cutting back dense vegetation in autumn.

  • Creating wild corners where lizards can hunt and later hibernate.

These simple actions can provide vital refuges for reptiles as they prepare for the cold months.

 

In Summary

By October, common lizards are winding down their year, seeking safe winter homes where they will remain in torpor until spring sunshine returns. For wildlife watchers, this is the last chance to spot them before their seasonal disappearance and a reminder of just how carefully adapted they are to Britain’s changing seasons.

UK Reptile ID

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Written by Paul Arestides, Transforming Lives Trainee

The UK is home to six native species of reptile – three snakes (adder, grass snake and smooth snake) and three lizards (common lizard/ viviparous lizard, sand lizard and slow worm).

In early spring, snakes and lizards will start to emerge from brumation – if you are lucky you may see one or more in your garden or when out walking in the countryside.

All three species of snake in the UK reproduce by laying eggs. The adder and smooth snake incubate eggs internally and then ‘give birth’ to live young. The grass snake lays eggs externally in rotting vegetation, for example, compost heaps.

Take a look below for some more fascinating facts about the UK’s native reptiles. 

 

Grass snake (Natrix helvetica)

Size: 90-150cm in length (females tend to be the longest)

Colour: Usually greenish in colour, with a yellow and black collar, pale belly and dark markings down the sides.

Habitat: Favours wetland habitats but can also be found in grassland and gardens, especially those with a pond!

Interesting fact: The grass snake is the longest snake found in the UK.

 

Adder (Vipera berus)

Size: 60-80cm in length. Very stocky. 

Colour: Grey (males)/ brown (females) with a dark and very distinctive zig-zag pattern down its back. Red eyes.

Habitat: Prefers woodland, heathland and moorland but may also be found in grassland or on the coast.

Interesting fact: The adder is the only venomous snake in the UK. However, bites are exceptionally rare as adders are reclusive and would prefer to retreat than confront a human. The last recorded death from an adder bite in the UK was in 1975. 

 

Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca)

Size: 50-70cm in length.

Colour: Usually dark grey or brown in colour. Similar to an adder but with a more slender body and without the zig-zag pattern along its back.

Habitat: Very rare. Mainly found on a few sandy heaths in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey, although a couple of reintroduced populations exist in West Sussex and Devon.

Interesting fact: The smooth snake is a constrictor, coiling around its prey to subdue it and crush it to death

 

Most lizards have four legs and run with a side-to-side motion. However, some, such as the slow worm, are legless. Lizards are mainly carnivorous and often employ a ‘sit-and-wait’ approach to catching prey. In the UK, lizards feed primarily on insects, molluscs and spiders.

 

Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis)

Size: Up to 20cm.

Colour: Female sand lizards are a sandy-brown colour, with rows of dark blotches along the back. Males have green flanks that are at their brightest during the breeding season, making them easy to spot.

Habitat: The sand lizard is very rare and can only be found on a few sandy heaths in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey with a few reintroduced populations in the south east, south west and Wales.

Interesting fact: Sand lizards dig burrows for overnight refuge and hibernation. 

 

Slow worm (Anguis fragilis)

Size: 40-50cm.

Colour: Smooth, golden-grey skin. The males are paler in colour and occasionally have blue spots. The females tend to be larger with dark sides and some have a dark line down their back.

Habitat: Slow worms live in most of Great Britain apart from Northern Ireland and are also present on most of the islands in Scotland and the Channel Isles.

Interesting fact: Although similar in appearance to a snake, the slow worm has eyelids (which snakes do not) and can drop its tail when threatened by a predator.

 

Viviparous/ common lizard (Zootoca vivipara)

Size: 10-15cm in length.

Colour: Variable, but most commonly a brownish-grey, with rows of darker spots or stripes down the back and sides. Males have bright yellow or orange undersides with spots, while females have paler, plain bellies.

Habitat: Heathland, moorland and grassland.

Interesting fact: If threatened by a predator, the common lizard will shed its tail which continues to move – the lizard uses this distraction to make its escape. Although able to regrow its tail, the new one is usually shorter than the original. 

 

Help us by becoming a citizen scientist! Reptiles are widely under-reported and we want your records to see how well reptiles are faring in the UK. Download our free Dragon Finder App to get started. 

What our animals are doing this month

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Written by Charles Bonnett, Transforming Lives Trainee

It’s February and we’re settling into the New Year. For our animals, February can represent a period of transition, as the first signs of spring start to stir them from their dormancy.

For some amphibians, February marks the beginning of their habitual migration to their breeding ponds. Male common frogs typically arrive first, ready to attract females. In warmer, southernly regions of the country, mating may have already occurred by late February and frogspawn may be present. Likewise, during warm, wet evenings, common toads will begin their migration to their ancestral breeding ponds; these epic journeys can sometimes span kilometres. Some of our three native newt species, smooth, palmate, and great crested newts, will similarly begin to rouse from their dormancy, though will likely remain more inconspicuous than their frog and toad counterparts. 

In comparison to amphibians, our reptiles are more temperature-sensitive, and so will mostly maintain their dormant state throughout the cold February days in order conserve their energy. Though, this does not mean that reptiles will be completely inactive during this period; a warm spell may stir adders and common lizards from their inactivity, after which they may be seen basking on south-facing slopes to regulate their body temperature in preparation for spring.

Generally, there is a degree of variation in when a member of a species may exit brumation, in part influenced by regional variation in weather, where earlier activity may be observed in more southerly regions. A further notable impact on this transition is our ever-changing climate. Our winters are becoming milder and less predictable, leading to our amphibians and reptiles exiting their dormant state prematurely. This early emergence can be dangerous, as it can leave the animals exposed to unpredictable weather, such as cold snaps. Likewise, it can cause the expenditure of energy during colder periods which may be difficult to recoup as sources of food will be rarer.

Overall, then, February can be a transitionary period from dormancy to activity for our amphibians and reptiles, and will likely continue to be with greater frequency due to our changing climate.

Remember to report any sightings of our species (including eggs and young) on our free Dragon Finder app.

What our animals are doing this month

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Written by Eve Goddard, Transforming Lives Trainee

Gills in, venture out!

Credit: Gareth Ward

As August hits, our newt larvae, which have been aquatic until now, absorb their gills and head out onto land to begin the next stage of life as an eft or ‘newtlet’.

Their diet will change from chydorids, daphniids and cyclopoid copepods (that’s water fleas and tiny crustaceans to you and me!) to terrestrial invertebrates such as worms and slugs.

They will take shelter under warm, damp logs, stones and paving slabs.

The weather will play a big part in their success at this stage. If it has been too hot and seasonal ponds have dried early, larvae may not have developed enough to leave the ponds and will perish.

However, the annual drying of seasonal ponds provides an advantage for our newt friends long term, as whilst adults can remain on land, aquatic predators such as fish will be predated and ducks will move on. 

 

Hop into Summer!

August falls into the period when froglets and toadlets will absorb their tails and leave the pond for the first time to reach dry land. They will often leave en masse as there’s safety in numbers!

The young will be around 1cm long and will shelter around ponds and damp areas trying to keep cool in the summer heat.  Being largely nocturnal, they will be active at night and avoid daytime temperatures. They feed on small flies, insects and worms.

 

Reptile Egg-stravaganza!

August is the time when UK reptiles begin to be born. 

Grass snakes begin to hatch from their eggs. The eggs will have been laid in rotting vegetation where neonates (hatchlings) can keep warm before they are ready to explore. Neonates are adept swimmers and will feed on small fish and amphibians.

Common lizards incubate their eggs internally (known as ‘ovoviviparity’) and will now give birth to up to 11 young. The young can be predated by birds and domestic cats. Their secret defence is shedding their still-moving tail in the case of an attack.

Juvenile common lizards love the August sunshine and will be found in open dry, sunny spaces with dense cover nearby.

Credit: Josefine Stenudd

What our animals are doing this month

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Written by Charles Bonnett, Transforming Lives Trainee

Summer is Coming!

Summer is arriving! As June has the greatest number of daylight hours during the year and is often one of the warmer months, this can be an enticing time for reptiles.

Reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded), and so they rely primarily on external sources of heat to regulate and maintain their body temperatures. Rocks and stones absorb heat from the sun, on which reptiles can bask to control their body temperature. Rotting vegetation is also an attractive proposition, as the associated decomposition process produces much-desired heat as a by-product. Prolific vegetation growth accompanying early summer attracts a wealth of insects and small mammals, and hence prospective prey. June, therefore, represents a potentially fruitful period for our reptiles.

Some reptiles have also begun laying their eggs or incubating their young internally during this period,

supported by the summer’s warmth. Reptiles employ one of three primary modes of reproduction: Oviparity, viviparity, and ovoviviparity. Oviparous reptiles, such as grass snakes and sand lizards, lay eggs containing all the necessary nutrients for embryo development. Viviparous reptiles, represented in the UK by common lizards, incubate embryos internally within their bodies; these embryos derive nutrients and oxygen from the parent. Ovoviviparity combines characteristics of both, where embryos develop in eggs that are incubated within the body of the parent until they hatch internally, after which a live juvenile is born. Slow worms, adders and smooth snakes are all ovoviviparous.

Grass Snake eggs (Josefine Stenudd)

As you bask in the summer sun, you may also catch a glimpse of a reptile! Don’t forget to record any sightings on our free Dragon Finder App!

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