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Tucked away on the south coast of the Isle of Wight is the town of Ventnor, here you will find living on the south facing walls around the town a thriving colony of Wall Lizards...
The Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) has long been a feature of the walls and gardens of the area around Ventnor Bay. These small green and brown reptiles are taking advantage of the warmth and sunshine of the south east facing bay, away from the prevailing south west and cold north winds. Active throughout the summer they are an intriguing addition to the Island's varied wildlife and are also a unique population of endangered reptiles.
Where did they come from?
There is not a simple answer to this question. They are thought to have been introduced during the 19th century, but since they are native on both Channel Islands and the near French continent some experts believe they could even be native here. Genetic studies are being done in Germany to find out more. However they arrived, the Ventnor wall lizards are the longest established population of wall lizards in Britain. We are keen to conserve Ventnor's wall lizards as part of an international conservation plan under the Bern Convention.
The stone walls and gardens are good hunting grounds for the small reptile that feeds on insects, spiders and other creepy crawlies. They need to live in warm, windless conditions as they are cold-blooded and need to eat u each day to move and digest their food. Cracks in the walls allow them to shelter and feed away from predators and provide both sites for egg laying and feeding of their young.
(full text and more information can be found here http://www.gifttonature.org.uk/ventnor.php)
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