Lizard ID? UK (1 Viewer)

[Will K]

This lizard was seen on Shoreham beach, UK. I managed to take a picture though a pair of binoculars and a chain link fence. Should be an easy ID? Thanks

 

[Farnboro John]

This lizard was seen on Shoreham beach, UK. I managed to take a picture though a pair of binoculars and a chain link fence. Should be an easy ID? Thanks

Wall Lizard. There's a colony in the area.

John

 

[Andy Adcock]

Wall Lizard. There's a colony in the area.

John

Which one?

I didn't realise we had them in the UK, Sand Lizards I know about.

 

[Richard D]

Which one?

I didn't realise we had them in the UK, Sand Lizards I know about.

Podarcis muralis - there's small populations across the south east.

 

[Southern Viking]

Yeah as Farnboro John says there's a colony of them in Shoreham. They're easy to see with a little patience around Shoreham Fort

 

[Andy Adcock]

Yeah as Farnboro John says there's a colony of them in Shoreham. They're easy to see with a little patience around Shoreham Fort

The taxonomy of Wall Lizards is complex to say the least, which is this?

 

[Southern Viking]

The taxonomy of Wall Lizards is complex to say the least, which is this?

As far as I can tell from an online search, they're Podarcis muralis as Richard D suggested. I'm certainly not a reptile expert!

 

[Andy Adcock]

As far as I can tell from an online search, they're Podarcis muralis as Richard D suggested. I'm certainly not a reptile expert!

I don't have any books to hand but recal the most recent, reptile guide, splitting them in to about a dozen species, am I misremebering, have I got it wrong and if I'm right, what is the origin of these animals?

 

[Farnboro John]

They can be seen in various places along the South Coast, the origins of the colonies are unclear and unless someone in the reptile community has studied the genetics they may or may not be all the same (modern taxonomy) species. In a British context and in the absence of detailed definitive information it does no harm to refer to them as Wall Lizards.

John

 

[Richard D]

I wouldn't go lower than species level in the UK, but most seem to be derived from releases of subspecies P. m. nigriventri and P. m. maculiventris

 

[Southern Viking]

I wouldn't go lower than species level in the UK, but most seem to be derived from releases of subspecies P. m. nigriventri and P. m. maculiventris

Somewhere like Shoreham they would have come from importation on boats I presume? Is it a genetic job to seperate the species/subspecies? A few attached of ones I've taken at Shoreham Fort. Well worth a visit by the OP to get good views of them (buggers to get close enough to with a macro though!)

 

[Owene]

i may be totally wrong on this but i think all are deliberate reintroductions with the south coast being most likelynto sustain them (as 2 native species largely hold on in dorset) rather than anything ship related for what its worth (and i survey adders and regularly find grass snakes and slow worms in adder sites) the wall lizards on portland seem more densely populated than most british reptiles

 

[Andy Adcock]

i may be totally wrong on this but i think all are deliberate reintroductions with the south coast being most likelynto sustain them (as 2 native species largely hold on in dorset) rather than anything ship related for what its worth (and i survey adders and regularly find grass snakes and slow worms in adder sites) the wall lizards on portland seem more densely populated than most british reptiles

You surely, cannot 'reintroduce' a non native-species?

On a separate note, why hasn't this been moved to the correct forum?