Posted: 14 April 2006 at 3:24pm | IP Logged

Mark,

None left at the castle, I've asked EH staff and the gardeners and looked myself. Only hope is that they are in one of the local walled gardens, I'll do a mailshot one of these days, as I live 10 minutes walk from the castle :P

Posted: 15 April 2006 at 2:15pm | IP Logged

Thanks for info Steve, shame that they're not there as it would've been worth a look.  The plan was to do some herping in the east of Hampshire then nip over to look for these.     I may have to take the boat over to the Isle of Wight and see them there.

Mark

Posted: 17 April 2006 at 8:35pm | IP Logged

Its certainly not necessary to catch the Wight ferry to see Wall lizards, plenty on the Bournemouth cliffs this afternoon. I guess this is why they're called 'Wall lizards' :

OK some weren't on walls

Posted: 18 April 2006 at 5:32pm | IP Logged

With reference to the introduced Wall Lizards identification of sub-species is tricky. But a significant proportion from Bournemouth, Ventnor and Shoreham have the intense green colouration together with extensive black marking, particularly on the underside, of nigriventris. Conversely, a significant proportion of individuals appear quite typical northern animals! It is, of course, entirely possible, since some of these known introductions are quite longstanding that they have evolved into a "UK" race. A combination of genetics, trace minerals in soil etc and natural selection (ie best camouflage) would see to this. (as evidenced by local variation in Sand Lizard colonies in the UK).

So far as potential native status is concerned the only factors that really support this are the one or two colonies of unknown origin plus the fact that in the south of England they do extremely well - apparently ideally adapted to our climate. Conversely, so far as I am aware, there is no fossil record (unlike the Pool Frog and Emys) and their distribution in Europe does note readily lend itself to access to the Uk by the "normal" route across to East Anglia. But it would be a braver man than I to rule it out completely!

Finally, someone mentioned their behaviour in winter. I normally describe this as " they only have a loose grasp on the concept of hibernation".  I think, simply, because they hibernate in rock/wall crevices rather than deep within burrows or vegetation, they are better able to detect the warmth of the sun - which against a wall can be quite considerable even in the depth of winter. Certainly, taking into account a combination of wild and captive colonies, I have seen both these and Podarcis sicula up and basking on every day in the calendar year at some time or the other over the last ten years.