lizards in the uk?

[4D_scumpunx]

went camping up goyt valley for 2 days walking in cheshire.
got lost of one of the paths from the cat and fiddle and managed to find my way down on to a path and spotted a very large lizard on the road
which also spotted me from a distance and ran after i tried getting close enough for a photo ( only had my phone )
I was just wondering what type of lizard this may be and what kind are most likely seen in the hills of cheshire?

I was unaware of many lizards living in the uk until i tried researching what i saw.

photos n info of walk n camp to come

 

[JonathanD]

Not much to go off there mate. The word 'large' is a bit worrying and suggests non-native. Have you got a description and rough size I can go off?

 

[Paul_B]

Thing about lizards I've noticed based on the ones I've seen in the Eastern Lakes is there can be such a variance in the colouring of the same species so much so they can look like more than one species.

Was in Knoydart not so long ago, what would the most likely lizard species be there JD? Since all the lizards I've ever seen in the UK have been quite small the two I saw in Knoydart was a good degree larger than any other I've seen in the UK. I'd have thought it would have been the common lizard but I've seen them in the Lakes and this one was similar in colouring (well it was that browny colour they are most commonly seen) but I'd have said about 50cm longer and bigger in the body too.

 

[Paul_B]

BTW just checked on the Herp con trust and seen the sand and common lizard. Not sure about the sand lizard comments about being re-introduced into Devon. As a kid on family holidays I remember chasing sand lizards in Devon. That was many decades ago now, late 70s / early 80s. Although when we holidayed in France they were more common but I am sure it was those green almost iridescent sand lizards I was chasing in Devon back then.

 

[JonathanD]

BTW just checked on the Herp con trust and seen the sand and common lizard. Not sure about the sand lizard comments about being re-introduced into Devon. As a kid on family holidays I remember chasing sand lizards in Devon. That was many decades ago now, late 70s / early 80s. Although when we holidayed in France they were more common but I am sure it was those green almost iridescent sand lizards I was chasing in Devon back then.

Probably was. They have declined at a rapid rate since.

As far as the OPs post goes. The word LARGE really doesn't apply to any of our native species. Although an individuals definition of LARGE really does vary.

 

[Paul_B]

Well the large one I saw in Knoydart was kind of a wide headed lizard (with a wide mouth) and was about 1 foot long or slightly more I think. Saw two of them at different locations about 15 miles apart but the second one was shorter, more like 25cm long. This is rough estimates as I had no means to measure them. The smaller one moved away quickly but the larger one just sat still until I nearly stood on it then it just moved to the side. Very lethargic possibly due to not warming up yet.

 

[JonathanD]

Well the large one I saw in Knoydart was kind of a wide headed lizard (with a wide mouth) and was about 1 foot long or slightly more I think. Saw two of them at different locations about 15 miles apart but the second one was shorter, more like 25cm long. This is rough estimates as I had no means to measure them. The smaller one moved away quickly but the larger one just sat still until I nearly stood on it then it just moved to the side. Very lethargic possibly due to not warming up yet.

Sounds like an Agama. There have been loads released in the UK as they are the most popular pet lizard, and people breed them to sell. Juveniles crop up in the Summer all over the place when people find they can't sell them on or get bored.

 

[Paul_B]

Would they survive in the UK?

 

[JonathanD]

I don't think they would survive the Winter as they live in semi desert. Although red eared terrapins and soft shells seem to be doing quite well.

 

[JonathanD]

Sounds like an Agama. There have been loads released in the UK as they are the most popular pet lizard, and people breed them to sell. Juveniles crop up in the Summer all over the place when people find they can't sell them on or get bored.

Sorry, don't know why I said Agama, I meant Bearded Dragon. It is a agamid though.

 

[4D_scumpunx]

hey, by large i mean about 1 feet long, maybe a bit more as it was from a fair distance away.
It was the usual browny sand color and looked an awful lot like the sand lizards.. although there is no sand where i was... or not much atleast.. the valley did used to be full of sand around 280 million years ago haha its just gritstone and shale now (according to the peak district fact sheets)

 

[Mafro]

I saw sand lizards whilst in the New Forest a month or so back. Beautiful creatures, and rather good at climbing trees

 

[FerlasDave]

hey, by large i mean about 1 feet long, maybe a bit more as it was from a fair distance away.
It was the usual browny sand color and looked an awful lot like the sand lizards.. although there is no sand where i was... or not much atleast.. the valley did used to be full of sand around 280 million years ago haha its just gritstone and shale now (according to the peak district fact sheets)

Sounds like a non-native escapee to me. There are no native lizards in britain that grow to that size, exept maybe wall lizards but they only survive far south and are bright green.

 

[JonathanD]

As Dave says, it's definately non native. Wall lizards that we have down south are not that much different in size to Sand lizards and are localised anyway. Certainly not a foot long. Probably is another pesky Beardy.

 

[lannyman8]

i have been told that beardies hibernate for 3-6 months depending on the heat range etc etc etc....

so it could be possible for a beardie to survive in the uk, but i would think thats only short term...

this has been told to me by a dealer who breads etc etc.

regards.

chris.

 

[JonathanD]

i have been told that beardies hibernate for 3-6 months depending on the heat range etc etc etc....

so it could be possible for a beardie to survive in the uk, but i would think thats only short term...

this has been told to me by a dealer who breads etc etc.

regards.

chris.

I dunno, may be possible, but with our Winters being much harsher, survival rate would be much lower. But as I said, terrapins and turtles have made it, so maybe beardies could too.