The cliffs at Boscombe, east of Bournemouth on the Dorset coast, may seem an unlikely place for a non-native species to thrive. Yet on a warm day, as thousands of holidaymakers fill the beach, Western green lizards (Lacerta bilineata) measuring more than 30cm long will be sunbathing on the slopes above.
The green lizard is normally found in Europe from northern Spain across to the Black Sea coast in the east, with a geographical split between western and eastern variants occurring around the borders of Austria, Italy and Slovenia.
Several attempts have been made to introduce them to the British Isles, but their survival has been short-lived, mainly due to the climate.
As their name suggests, they are largely green, while males are blue around the throat and face in the breeding season.
The Boscombe lizards appeared after one or more unauthorised releases, but debate continues as to when. For more than 30 years they have snuck beneath the gorse and behind beach huts, where they share the southern outlook with common lizards and non-native wall lizards.
Similar in size and appearance to the common lizard, the wall lizard is becoming increasingly widespread, its future seemingly secure.
The green lizard might also survive here in the long term, but there is concern that it may impact native sand lizard populations. Greens will prey on smaller lizard species, but more likely they would dominate habitats, and the smaller sand lizards would diminish.
Top image: Getty Images
