please identify for me?

Hi all,

Found this little lizard in my garden today. Ok, so I admit it scared me, just wondered what they are called. I have never seen one in a garden before I am curious to know about it.
Thank you

:eek:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h45/bluemolly/gardenerscorner008.jpg

 

That is a newt, I think. Common one at that, though not so these days.

 

Common lizard (Lacerta Vivipara) the toes are longer with claws, newts are short and stubby, looks like a female due to the wider lower abdomen. Also the scales on the tail are visible and the tail is longer compared to a newt.

 

Now that I recognise, markings and all - as I found exactly the same thing under a flower pot on the patio. We had some discussion here - and I sent the picture to English Nature and they identified it. Its a Smooth Newt - Non breeders can waunder quite a way from water apparently.



[ 04. June 2006, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Still think it's a common lizard as you can see the long toes.

 

The one on bluemlolly's brickwork is a lizard. Newts can't climb like that.

 

Thank you to all who replied. He/she has long gone now, but it proved a great topic to discuss over the Bar b q. It makes sense I guess that these creatures visit our garden we are about 4-500yards from westbere lakes.
Although,I am quite happy for them to stay in their own neck if the woods. Wimp, I am scared of them.

 

Common lizards often live a long way from water often sharing dry heathland with the rarer sand lizards but they can be found in almost any habitat. They give birth to live young so they don't need the heat like other lizards and can be found in northernmost Scandinavia, so they are tough little reptiles.

 

Last time I saw lizards was in Whitstable, not far from you. A gang of them were having a meeting or something, and that was years ago. Lovely little guys. My garden is full of newts, rare?...nah.

 

Rich,
your comments made me chuckle, but sad to say haven't changed my opinions on them, as yet.

 

There's no need to fear lizards; unless it's just the tail that you can see poking out from under something, might be a SNAKE :eek:

 

Don't encourage serpentphobia T, we only have three and 90% of the population have never seen one and probably only 2/3% have seen an Adder.I'm a little biased here as I love and have kept retiles and amphibians sinceI was about 10. :D