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This Common Wall Lizard is an introduced species in southern Britain. (Photo courtesy of Axel Rouvin at Wikipedia.)

Reptiles and Amphibians - British Reptiles

There are six species of reptiles native to the UK. Dry heathlands are the best natural habitats for British reptiles, but semi-natural areas with heath-like conditions such as railway embankments, sea walls, road verges, churchyards, golf courses and almost any area with a sunny south facing slope and open vegetation may be suitable. Lizards have the ability to 'self amputate' their tails for protection. The process is known as 'autotomy'.

All native reptiles are protected in Britain under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. This protection under law helps counteract the decline of all the species. The Act also protects the rarest reptiles in Britain, the smooth snake and the sand lizard, by making it an offence to possess, handle, capture or disturb them.

1 .

A slow-worm has something that lizards have but snakes don't. What is it?

Photograph courtesy of Valerius Geng

A forked tongue

Scales

Legs

Eyelids

Slow-worms also shed their tails when captured, a typical feature of a lizard

2 .

The Common Lizard is viviparous. What does this mean?

Photograph courtesy of Marek Szczepanek

Gives birth to live young

Smells with its feet

Changes colour for camouflage

Has no stomach

Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Zootoca
Species: Z. vivipara
Also known as viviparous lizard.
Are able to live almost anywhere, but they prefer reasonably warm places with good basking sites and are frequently found on the stony ballast around railway lines.

Most lizards lay eggs

3 .

What is the slow worm's alternative name?

Photograph courtesy of Marek_bydg

Fake snake

Lounge lizard

Lazy lizard

Blind worm

Order: Squamata
Family: Anguidae
Genus: Anguis
Species: A. fragilis
Native to Britain.
Neither a worm nor a snake, the slow worm is a lizard.
Evolved into a legless form to suit their burrowing lifestyle.
They have an almost cylindrical body which is hard and smooth to the touch.

This is because it has eyelids, which snakes do not have

4 .

The adder has a marking on its head which is similar to which letter of the alphabet?

Photograph courtesy of Zdeněk Fric

X, M and H are also descriptions of the marking

5 .

Can you identify this British reptile?

Photograph courtesy of M. Betley

Common Wall Lizard

Sand Lizard

European green lizard

Common Lizard

Order: Squamata
Family: Lacertidae
Genus: Lacerta
Species: L. agilis
Found mainly in southern Britain.
Has the ability to take food in large quantities when it is freely available and will eat most types of insects, worms, slugs and can eat their own young too, if necessary.

6 .

Can you identify this British reptile?

Photograph courtesy of Piet Spaans

Aesculapian Snake

Grass Snake

Adder

Dice snake

Order: Squamata
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Vipera
Species: V. berus
Found all over Britain and are our only snakes with a poisonous bite, but this is rarely fatal to humans.
Have the most varied diet of British snakes, feeding mainly on field voles, but also mice, lizards, nestling birds, eggs and amphibians.

7 .

Which of the following would a grass snake be least likely to eat?

Frogs

Newts

Rabbits

Birds

Grass snakes are active predators and swallow the prey in one piece while it is still alive

8 .

Can you identify this British reptile?

Photograph courtesy of Christian Fischer.

Dice snake

Smooth Snake

Aesculapian Snake

Adder

Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Coronella
Species: C. austriaca
Rarest of our native snakes.
Lives on heathlands in Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey where it can lay its eggs in sandy soils.
Have round pupils to their eyes.

9 .

Can you identify this British reptile?

Photograph courtesy of Fafner

Slow worm

Dice snake

Grass Snake

Adder

Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Natrix
Species: N. natrix
Are usually around 120 cms long.
Live in a variety of rough habitats with long grass.
Lay their eggs into piles of warm, rotting vegetation.
They become rarer the further north you travel and are hardly ever found in Scotland.