Alternative Name
Mongolian Lacerta
Scientific Name: Lacerta agilis
Basic Info
At maturity, female Sand Lizards usually measure about 8.5 inches (22 centimeters) in length, and males often reach lengths of 10.5 inches (27 centimeters). Their bodies are robust in shape and the tails and heads are rather short and blunt. Although females are less brightly colored than males, both sexes of Sand Lizards have two well-defined dorsal stripes amid an oscillated dark brown and white patterning. A band of smaller scales is also present over the back. Between April and May, male Sand Lizards acquire brilliant green coloring over their normally plain green sides.
Health
Breeding
Breeding season for Sand Lizards occurs between April and May, when males become more brightly colored to attract females. The male holds the female's flanks in his mouth in order to mate with her. Usually, Sand Lizards lay their eggs in May and June. The eggs are partially covered in sand, and deposited in very sunny areas. Between 40 and 60 days, these eggs hatch thanks to the sun's incubation. In most areas, only one clutch is laid each year. These young Sand Lizards will become sexually mature by the time they are two years old.
Habitat
Found in many countries throughout Europe
Behavior
The Mongolian Lacerta, commonly known as the Sand Lizard, is endangered in the wild. Captive bred Sand Lizards are, however, available for purchase and can make interesting and beautiful pets!
In the cold months of the year, usually November to April, Sand Lizards remain in burrows, insulated crevices, or under some sort of protective root, brush heap, or log. Generally, Sand Lizards live in sandy areas in colonies. They make burrow systems and are generally shy, running into their burrows when disturbed. In order to control the inside temperature, Sand Lizards can stuff up their entrances with vegetation. They may take over the burrows of other animals. Sand Lizards bask in low vegetation. Breeding rivalry occurs, and the male with the larger size and better stamina is usually the one that will mate with the female. To do this, males arch their backs and open their mouths, then rush at each other and bite or grapple until one lizard retreats. Although some sources believe that the Sand Lizard is monogamous, others believe that these lizards may mate with two or three different females in a breeding season.
Origin
Europe
History
Although Sand Lizards are found in many countries throughout Europe, they have been losing their habitats and are endangered. In many countries it is illegal to remove them from the wild, and conservation programs are underway for these lacertas. In such countries, catching, killing, keeping, or selling Sand Lizards is illegal. Fires, mining, urbanization, the spread of agriculture, and deforestation have all contributed to the losses that Sand Lizards have suffered.
Common Foods
Sand Lizards eat a variety of insects, though they have also been known to eat flower heads and fruits from time to time.
Latest news about Sand Lizard
Winklers of the Carribean
On August 13, Berta, the kids, and I went on a cruise to the Caribbean. We made arrangements for this couple months ago via Carnival's website as our family vacation for this year. Our destination: San Juan in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk. So on that Wednesday, we loaded our luggage into the car and drove to the port in New York City. We were running a little bit late because we had to drop off the house key with our cat sitter, and I was afraid we weren't going to make it, but we di Continue reading
little goodbyes
Well, we take off tomorrow for up North, I should be really excited about it, but somehow It's not really happening yet. Maybe it's the fact that my husband is already up there on his annual golf outing for work, and I am left here to clean, do laundry for hours, arrange for pet sitting, and pack for the entire family by myself, then drive 4 hours alone with 2 kids who fight every 10 minutes. no. I'm not bitter. or irritated, or exhausted already. not to mention.... Should I be conce Continue reading
PBeM: Terin Part 8
Terin and Mikkelson entered the supply area, a cavernous chamber with high vaulted ceilings and arches that displayed a mix of ancient black stone and fresher white stone and mortared repairs. The crowded area was filled with rough wooden shelves built in among the support columns, their narrow aisles exposed to view, separated from the entrance by a massive wooden waist high counter. Dozens of young men and women in dusty green overtunics bustled among the aisles carrying gear of varying sorts Continue reading
Honey, I'm home.... one of those lines that remains ingrained in one's head forever in spite of only ever having watched the film once and a very long time ago at that. Thank you all for your lovely holiday well wishes, I am sorry not to be replying individually but I have only just caught up on the washing, never mind all the blog reading. Norfolk was wonderful. We stayed in a spacious barn (converted that is!) not far from the towns of Sheringham and Cromer and the weather was surprisingly a Continue reading
SPECIAL POST : THE OUTRAGEOUS NOISE PACKAGE!
This package contains three of the most extreme avant-garde albums ever to have seen the light of day! First, there's Lou Reed's 1975 Metal Music Machine described as unlistenable when it first came out. Well, times change and, if it's still a heavily experimental work we're dealing with here, it doesn't seem so extreme anymore. Still, not an easy album to listen to. Second, there's Diamanda Galàs' 1982 The Litanies Of Satan. Except for a few percussion, this two tracks experience contains not Continue reading
SPECIAL POST : THE OUTRAGEOUS NOISE PACKAGE!
This package contains three of the most extreme avant-garde albums ever to have seen the light of day! First, there's Lou Reed's 1975 Metal Music Machine described as unlistenable when it first came out. Well, times change and, if it's still a heavily experimental work we're dealing with here, it doesn't seem so extreme anymore. Still, not an easy album to listen to. Second, there's Diamanda Galàs' 1982 The Litanies Of Satan. Except for a few percussion, this two tracks experience contains not Continue reading
Goodbye Vietnam, Hello Island Adventure - Ko Samui, Thailand
Jump to the full entry & travel map Ko Samui, Thailand So sorry, it's been awhile since the last update. 12 days to be exact, we've actually found it pretty difficult to find an Internet connection that would allow us to upload pictures, and we're hoping this one will work. What have we been up to since the last post?? Where to start... After Hanoi we arrived in Bangkok and were treated to an absolutely beautiful hotel by the honeymooners Scott and Lizzie. In fact, because we arrived Continue reading
Round 2
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The Incredible Petrified World (1957) DVDRip Dual Fra-Eng (SiRiUs sHaRe) (0S/0L)
The Incredible Petrified World (1957) Four adventurers descend to the depths of the ocean when the cable on their underwater diving bell snaps. The rest of their expedition, believing them to be lost, abandons hope of finding them. Exiting the diving bell, the party finds themselves in a network of underwater caverns. They encounter a shipwreck survivor. He tells them he has been there for 14 years and that there is no way out. The two men in the exploring party believe him only after a hike Continue reading
A weekend in the country - Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Jump to the full entry & travel map Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia What an amazing sight, flying over the outback, to suddenly see Uluru, Ayers Rock, rising up out of the red sand. We arrived in the Ayers Rock resort on Friday after the 2 hour flight from Adelaide to Alice Springs and then the 45min flight to Ayers Rock and made our way to the Campground, where we were staying for the weekend. Thankfully we were in the Village tents, with wooden floors and Continue reading
14:14 - The Harvest
The first demon to enter the mortal plane in nearly 2000 years found itself staring into the eyes of a half dozen South Pacific tribesmen, its face matching the utter surprise of the humans. The small, ape-like lizard screeched and made a hasty retreat from the ritual circle, where the island's local Shaman had tried to mix old magic with the new Christianity the missionaries had brought. For days later, the small creature was hunted, the local villagers cheering as they chased the strange creat Continue reading
Fudge Man, Bill Cosby, Speedo Guy….and ME!
A couple of weeks ago, hubby (aka Mr. Excitement) and I took a trip to The Outer Banks of North Carolina……Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Ocracoke Island. Mr. Excitement’s idea of a vacation is to get in his Tahoe (aka Pimpmobile) and drive as far as possible without me finally giving up and peeing all over his seats. After hours of pleading and begging for him to stop at a QuikMart or Mobil Gas to let me frequent the ladies room, he will finally relent when I start yelling, “OK, Buster, y Continue reading
Boogie Boarding In Southern California:
There is a radio spot that relates to the seasonal weather in Phoenix, Arizona. This report states that Phoenix does have four seasons. These seasons are as follows: hot, hotter, hottest, and you got to be kidding. August is the time of season that is, “You got to be Kidding”. It’s a dry heat is a famous line for people not familiar with the southwest. I have lived in Phoenix for over fourteen years. If this is a dry heat, my pores are not cooperating. For most of my life I had lived in Calif Continue reading
Post-Kinabalu laziness - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Jump to the full entry & travel map Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Saturday 2nd August I felt pretty rough today so I wasn't up for doing much, but I had expected that. I felt the start of a cold a few days ago, which I guess was my body telling me it would like some rest, not to be hauled up a 4,000 metre mountain. Still, it was totally worth it so no complaints from me! Sunday 3rd August My cold has gone so I woke up feeling back to normal. We spent today at 1Bor Continue reading
And The Answers Are…….
And The Answers Are……. By Danielle | Posted in This and That | Comments (8) August 7, 2008 – 1:27 pm Thanks to all of you who stopped by with wonderful birthday wishes and ‘everything you wanted to know’ questions. It was fabulous to have so many of you say hello and I had to giggle at what you wanted to know more about. Y’all always make me smile. A Room of Mama’s Own asks: What’s my theme song? That would have to be “Who Let The Dogs Out”. When we first got our new puppy Snickers we Continue reading
My Adidas
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I ♥ Women + Mythologies
This summer I ♥ Comics returns to Blog@Newsarama. Each Wednesday comics bloggers and creators will discuss the things they love about the medium. This week our guest contributor is Kelly Sue DeConnick, co-writer of 30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella with Steve Niles and a contributor to Image’s 24seven and Comic Book Tattoo anthologies. When she isn’t writing comics, she’s translating them from Japanese into English; you can find a list of the manga she’s worked on here. You can find her blog, gi Continue reading
Southwestern Arizona
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Sands of time - Free Download Indie-Music Compilation
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Me Likey Kerachut; ♥
The time to leave Penang is almost here, it's next week to be exact. There's so many things to be missed here. Food, friends, company, hangouts. And last Saturday and today was one of the best days I had, I went hiking! And I damn loveeeeeeee hiking! After so long of planning, finally the plan is carried out. Off to Teluk Bahang we went, to Pantai Kerachut we hiked. The hike was about an hour plus, the route was challenging yet fun. It wasn't as bad as this morning's hike Continue reading
