Captive breeding sand lizards

SAVING SPECIES

Sand Lizard Captive Breeding and Release Programme

How is the programme carried out?

ARC is coordinating the breeding and release programme for sand lizards, which involves a number of vivaria run by skilled herpetologists - in both private gardens and zoos (for example Chester Zoo and Marwell Zoological Park).

There are three 'races' of sand lizard in the UK (Dorset, Wealden and Merseyside) and all are being maintained. As a direct consequence of the programme several new populations of the Dorset race have been introduced, helping to not only secure its status but to expand too. The Wealden race had also benefitted greatly and is now restored to much of its former range. In 1995 a drive towards improving the situation with the Merseyside race started. Since then there have been some releases within newly secured habitat in Merseyside but there has been an extremely successful reintroduction into North Wales after an absence of more than 50 years. The animals are now well established and there is a vibrant, growing population.

Further new sites for all three races have been identified and the releases continue.

Further benefits...

The releases also offer a superb education opportunity, giving local volunteers, enthusiasts and school groups, who've probably never see a sand lizard before, the chance to do so. The associated media coverage also helps raise public awareness, not just about these beautiful animals and their plight, but about reptile and amphibian conservation as a whole.