The Eastern Moors provide a great habitat for the common lizard. They like the damp moorland which is home to their prey of mainly insects, and the dry stone walls give good crevices to hide and a place to bask on the warm ledges in the mornings and late afternoons. These walls also offer some protection from their main predators whether they be adders, foxes, kestrels, buzzards or crows.
An old fence post provides a perfect basking site as the wood warms up faster than the dry stone walls. However a rusty old drinks can is even better, but could get too hot during the middle of the day!.
The mature lizards are mainly assorted shades of brown, varying from gold to nearly black, but many different shades can be found including dark purple and green. The best 'green' I have found is the one below but others have been found much greener than this:
Lizards are well known for casting their tails as a last form of defence and it is not too hard to find more than one that has had a narrow escape
Lizards hibernate from October until March but now is a good time to see them basking in the sun.
Roger.
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