STUDY OF REPTILES in 



A beautiful green lizard Lacerta viridis occurs in Jersey. 



Why is the total number so small ? Because reptiles are 

 warmth-loving animals, and Britain is not a warm country ; 

 because there are not very many reptiles in the whole European 

 continent, of which Britain is an outlying corner ; and because 

 Britain must have been insulated from the Continent before 

 some of the possible reptilian tenants had extended so far west 

 or north. 



As there are only six British reptiles, we may make a few 

 notes on each of them. 



(1) The common lizard Lacerta vivipara occurs throughout 

 Great Britain, and has the distinction of being the only reptile 

 in Ireland. It is a shy, harmless creature, feeding on insects, 

 snails, and worms. 



A good specimen is about six inches in length. The colour 

 is very variable. It is brown or reddish above, with small darker 

 and lighter spots. The under surface is orange to red with 

 black spots in the male, yellow to pale orange below, with or 

 without black spots in the female. The newly born young are 

 almost black. 



The young ones burst out of the eggs just as these are laid, 

 or even before they are laid. From six to twelve are born at a 

 time, like miniatures of the adults, not an inch in length. They 

 subsist for a while on the remains of the yolk (which has passed 

 into the body), but soon begin to catch small insects. 



The common lizard is hardy, and may be found high up on 

 the hills. It likes moist places and sunny places. It seeks 

 winter quarters in October, and a number may be found together 

 in one hole. 



(2) The sand lizard Lacerta agilis, which is restricted in 

 Britain to the south of England is very like the common lizard, 

 but the rows of spots on its back and sides give it a longi- 

 tudinally striped appearance. The ground colour is more or less 

 green in the male, brown and grey in the female ; the young are 

 grey-brown above with white, black-edged spots, and whitish 

 below. Its maximum size is about 8 inches. 



The sand lizard lays five to eight white soft-shelled eggs in the 

 ground, under leaves or the like, in May or June, and these are 



