‘Lizard’ road sign in France - this is what it means
Livestock, deer…lizard? The sign warning of a rare kind of animal hazard
Ocellated lizards tend to live in warm, rocky areas - including rocky walls by this roadside in Châteaubourg, Ardèche
Fercast / Shutterstock / Google Street View
You may be familiar with warnings about cows and deer, but what about lizards? That’s the message drivers in France may see on a rather unusual road sign, as part of a campaign to protect the species.
The sign has been installed on Route de Giraud, in Châteaubourg (Ardèche, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes).
Its design is a white triangle with a red edge, a black silhouette of a lizard, and the word ‘LÉZARD’ in black capital letters underneath. In this respect, it is similar to more common warning signs about livestock or deer.
The road’s speed limit is just 30 km/h, with motorists now expected to keep an eye out for the bright, endangered species of ocellated lizard when driving. The species is also sometimes called the ‘jewelled lizard’ (scientific name Timon lepidus).
Endangered reptile campaign
The sign was installed as part of an initiative to help protect the lizard, which is considered symbolic of the region, and is endangered.
It can grow to be up to 90cm long, but is typically around 50-70cm, making it one of the largest lizards in Europe. It is highly coloured, with a bright green body, and black, yellow, and turquoise markings on its back. It typically lives in hotter, dryer Mediterranean-style climates, and favours rocky areas with cracks that allow it to hide and stay warm.
Yet, near Châteaubourg, the lizards have been found to be living in the retaining walls along the road, putting them at high risk of being run over by passing motorists.
“We want to raise awareness among residents of ocellated lizards, which have chosen to make their home in this area,” said mayoral secretary Lucille Skurzak, to the Journal du Net. ‘The risk of being run over is high, and the population is threatened with extinction.”
The species is protected in France (and also in Spain) due to being considered as ‘vulnerable’. Since 2020, it has been the subject of a ‘Plan national d'action (PNA) 2020-2029’, which aims to promote protection of the lizard, optimise conservation measures and biodiversity, and raise awareness of its needs.
The lizard is found in certain regions of southern France, as well as across Spain, Portugal, northwest Italy, and northwest Tunisia. It mainly eats large insects, but also fruit and plants, as well as other reptiles including other lizards and snakes.
It is on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation) Red List of Threatened Species, although still considered to be of the ‘Least Concern’.
