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.
For some amphibians, February marks the beginning of their habitual migration to their breeding ponds. Male 
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.
first time to reach dry land. They will often leave en masse as there’s safety in numbers!
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.
