How to identify lounging lizards in France

You may have noticed the little scurries of a lizard as it runs around the stone walls of your gardens. With the help of friends who are reptile specialists – herpetologists – I have been learning to identify some of the species that are commonly seen in the south of France.

All lizards are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature changes with the surrounding environment, and in temperate countries like France where the nights can be cool, they need to sunbathe in the morning in order to speed up their reactions. 

In wintertime they will generally hibernate underground where it is not dangerously cold and emerge with the warmth of Spring. In hibernation, the metabolism slows right down, and they enter a deep sleep state.

The easiest seen, as it is not really shy at all, is the Common wall lizard (Lézard des murailles). It is found throughout France and much of Europe, as well as a population near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, which has become quite famous and sought after by British naturalists who are interested to see the species, even if it is not native to the UK.

A fossil of this lizard, found in a cave in Greece, has been dated to about 10,000 years ago, so this species has been around for at least that time. 

Their colour can vary greatly, generally brownish or grey and may be tinged with green, and the pattern of the spots can also vary considerably; there are several specific ‘morphs’ – forms – but generally they are not really mistakeable as a species. 

Measuring up to 20cms in length, this lizard likes rocky environments, including urban settings where they can scurry between rocks, debris and buildings. Males tend to be more colourful on their underbellies.

A much brighter coloured lizard which can be twice the size when the tail is included is the Western green lizard (Lézard vert), a strikingly coloured lizard, with the males often showing a blue throat, as can be seen in the photo below (with a common lizard joining in the fun). 

They can weigh up to 35grams and have an average lifespan of about 15 years. Very territorial, the males can be aggressive towards rivals, especially in the mating season. They are much less widespread than the common lizard and in Spain are only found in the north, but can be seen throughout the whole of France and Italy.

In the last 30 years a species of gecko has been spreading up from Spain to the south of France, and it is becoming much easier to find. The lumps or ‘tubercules’ on its body give it an armoured appearance, and its wide toes are easily identifiable, enabling it to stick to smooth vertical surfaces, and it will often come into human dwellings to hunt insects.

This is the Tarente of Mauritania; they are not very large, only growing up to 15cms in length. They are mainly active at night.

The last of the common species seen in French gardens are two legless lizards. One that is also present in the UK is the Slow worm (Orvet), a lovely copper coloured lizard that has completely lost all its limbs and so slithers across the ground like a snake, even if quite slowly. 

It is not a worm, or a snake, they have the ability to blink their eyes and will shed their tails if caught by a predator. They predate on snails and slugs, so are beneficial to gardeners. 

During the cooler months slow worms semi-hibernate, waking up in warmer weather. They are ovoviviparous, that is, the females give birth to live young. 

A similar lizard, but much rarer than the slow worm, is known in English as a Western three-toed skink, and in French, ‘Seps strié’. Its maximum length is 40cms. 

Found in the Iberian peninsula, southern France and also Italy, they favour a damp but sunny habitat with dense low vegetation such as meadows, stream verges, marshes, grassy slopes and hedges, hibernating underground in winter in pre-prepared burrows. 

They are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as being of ‘least concern’, although they are very vulnerable to attack by various predators, including domestic cats, snakes, badgers, and some bird species.

Obviously, the four tiny legs are hardly useful for walking, so its main means of locomotion is a snake-like undulation, similar to slow worms. They are difficult to see – I have only ever seen two in 12 years in the mill, as it is very secretive and hides away in thick vegetation.