- Lifespan
- 6–8 years in the wild, occasionally up to 10 years
- Size & Weight
- 16–24 cm total length (including tail); 2–6 g
- Habitat
- Open, sunny areas with good ground cover such as heathland, grassland, moorland, woodland edges, and rocky outcrops, typically on well-drained soils.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout mainland Britain from southern England to northern Scotland, absent from Ireland. Resident year-round, though inactive during winter hibernation.
- Diet
- Primarily small invertebrates including insects, spiders, and other arthropods; occasionally eats smaller lizards.
- Prey
- Flies, beetles, ants, spiders, small caterpillars, woodlice
- Predators
- Grass snakes, slow worms, birds of prey (kestrels), crows, magpies, domestic cats, and occasionally larger lizards
- Mating Season
- April to June
- Breeding
- Viviparous (live-bearing); females produce 3–8 live young per year, typically born July to September. Gestation period approximately 2–3 months; single brood per year.
- Behaviour
- Highly active and alert during warm, sunny weather; basks openly to thermoregulate. Solitary and territorial, with males competing aggressively during breeding season. Hibernates from October to March, often communally in leaf litter or rocky crevices.