Garden wildlife: The UK's three types of lizards - and how can you identify your scaly garden visitor

From chunky stag beetles to garden bird fledglings fresh from the nest, the sun is out and so too is Britain’s wildlife. Anyone making the most of June’s recently warming weather by spending time in the garden are likely to encounter all kinds of critters at the moment, and might just find themselves wanting to learn a little more about them.

You might even spot a sunbathing lizard this time of year. Believe it or not, there are actually only three species of lizard native to the UK. But if you’re someone who wants to make your garden a haven for wildlife, there are also a few sneaky lookalikes to be aware of, who have very different needs and preferences. Here’s everything you need to know about them - as well as their semi-aquatic cousins:

Common lizards

The common lizard lives up to its name, and is indeed the most common and widespread lizard across the British Isles. It’s also the one you’re most likely to spot in your garden, according to the Wildlife Trusts.

Sometimes called the viviparous lizard, these little guys can be found everywhere from woodlands to parks or fields, and enjoy finding a warm, open spot to sun themselves. But if you get too close, they’ll quickly dash away back into the undergrowth.

Conservation charity Froglife says that although common lizards are frequently mistaken for newts, they are much faster - and if you look at it closely, you’ll notice ‘bumpy’ or scaly skin. They can reach about 15cm long and are usually brown - with some individuals having yellow, green, or black on them - with a spotted and striped pattern down their backs. They wake up from their winter hibernation in spring, and can be spotted throughout the warmer months - particularly during April, their breeding season.

Unusually, common lizards give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. They can also drop their tail if caught by a predator. Although still very common, their numbers are thought to be declining due to the destruction of suitable habitat, Froglife adds.

Sand lizards

The UK’s largest and rarest lizards (and one of its rarest reptiles in general), you’re probably not going to spot these guys in your garden. Due to the dramatic loss of the sandy heathland habitats they call home, the only remaining natural sand lizard populations are in coastal parts of Surrey, Dorset and Hampshire - as well as Merseyside’s coastal sand dune system. However their fortunes may be changing, with Froglife reporting a captive breeding programme has seen them reintroduced across North Wales, Devon, Cornwall and West Sussex.

These stocky lizards can grow up to 20cm long, and the males have bright green flanks during the breeding season. They commonly have spots that resemble eyes, not unlike a leopard’s. These lizards prefer to lay their eggs in sandy dunes, and hunt a wide variety of prey - including spiders.

Slow worms

The rather uncharitably named slow worm is frequently mistaken for a snake. But it’s not a snake or a worm - but a legless lizard. Although usually quite shy, slow worms are a more common sight during May as they search for mates. They also enjoy hiding and hunting for insects around compost heaps, so are also spotted with some regularity in gardens and allotments.

These long-lived reptiles are widespread across England, Wales, and Scotland, although they are absent from Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. They are common across much of Europe, but their UK population has declined somewhat - once again, largely due to habitat loss.

Unlike snakes, slow worms (and most other lizards) have eyelids, so if you see it either blink or rest with its eyes closed, there’s a good chance you’ve spotted a slow worm. These reptiles are also much smaller than British snakes - only reaching just 50cm in length and 100 grams in weight - and have smooth, golden-grey skin. Males are lighter in colour and sometimes sport tiny blue spots, while females are larger, with a dark stripe down the back. Rather than having a more distinct head, the slow worm’s head is a similar width to its body - giving it a somewhat tubular appearance.

Could it be a newt?

The UK is also home to three newt species - two of which you might also find in your garden, if you’re fortunate. Although they are amphibians and usually found in ponds or streams, just like frogs they do sometimes opt to come out for a stroll. They also hibernate there, tucking themselves away in a compost heap or under logs.

The smooth newt is the most common species you’ll see about. They are not nearly as fast on land as lizards, so if it slowly potters away when you spot it that’s a pretty telling sign. Both males and females are brown in colour with spotty, orange bellies, the Woodland Trust says. Males will develop a crest along their back during the breeding season.

But you can tell them apart from the rarer great crested newt by their size. Smooth newts only reach about 10cm long, while their cousins can be almost double that. Much darker in colour with bumpier skin, the male’s crests also have a spiky punk-rock look to them. They have a high level of protection in the UK because our population is of international significance - something that has often sadly brought the species into conflict with land developers.

Amber Allott is NationalWorld’s environment and sustainability specialist, covering all things green - from climate to conservation. If you liked this article you can follow Amber on X (Twitter) here and sign up for the free daily NationalWorld Today newsletter here - with Amber bringing you the UK's most important, pressing, weird and wonderful environmental stories every Tuesday.