The look
Sand lizards have a rather stocky body with short legs. Compared to the forest lizard and the wall lizard, they appear much stronger and somewhat clumsier.
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The basic color of the Sand lizard is brown. During the mating season, the flanks of the adult males turn green. In southwest Germany there are also animals that are completely green in color during the mating season.
The underside is yellowish in the females. The belly of the males is green all year round and has black spots. An arrangement of white lines and dots runs on the back, which is unique to each animal.
size
In our latitudes, sand lizards, measured from head to tail tip, reach a size of 12 to 24 centimeters. After the green lizard, the sand lizard is the second largest lizard species in our country.
The distribution of the sand lizard
As a former steppe inhabitant, the sand lizard preferred to settle in areas of drifting sand. Since these habitats have increasingly disappeared, it now predominantly occurs in substitute habitats.
She is on:
- Clearings of not too dense forests,
- Dry heaths,
- Areas with poor or semi-arid grassland
- along railway lines, roads and canals
to be found.
Way of life of animals
In winter, the sand lizards hide in frost-free burrows that they dig themselves or that were created by other small animals. From March onwards the males leave the winter quarters and in April the females leave.
The mating season begins at the beginning of May. The pairing is preceded by a joint "pairing march". The females then settle in sunny spots to encourage the eggs to develop.
The eggs are laid in sandy places until mid-July. To do this, the female digs small holes in which it lays 5 to 14 of the soft-shelled eggs.
The males go to winter quarters as early as August. The females follow in September, the young in October.
Create a lizard-friendly garden
Create in your Garden diverse habitats, sand lizards are also found to settle in your neighborhood:
- Under one hedge the animals can hide and find protection from enemies. - You can hunt numerous prey in a flower meadow.
- A Rock garden or one Natural stone wall invite you to sunbathe.
- Messy pile of wood provide protection. If these are reached by the sun, the sand lizards can warm up after the cool night.
- Sparsely vegetated areas with sandy subsoil are ideal for laying eggs.
Tips
Avoid the use of herbicides and insecticides in your garden to protect the lizards and their prey. If necessary, snails, aphids and other insect pests can be successfully used with environmentally friendly home remedies or Herbal manure fight.