25 September β 24 October
the coastal calendar, shifted 10 days later for this region
Under stones, logs and compost in damp shade; almost never out in the open.
Another legless lizard, live-bearing, and one of the longest-lived reptiles anywhere β over thirty years in the wild. The dropped tail never fully regrows, so a blunt stump is an animal that survived something.
photos, sightings and recordings, off this site
where this species is on the list
| Phase | When | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| wintering in cover | 25 October β 3 April | 161 days | Reptile dormancy β sluggish rather than truly asleep, and broken by warm spells. |
| going about the year | 4 April β 4 May | 31 days | Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out. |
| courting | 5 May β 3 June | 30 days | Song, display, fighting, scent-marking β pairs forming or reaffirming. |
| pregnant | 4 June β 24 August | 82 days | Pregnant. Nothing to see from outside, which is why the dates matter. |
| raising young | 25 August β 24 September | 31 days | Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed. |
| young dispersing | 25 September β 24 October | 30 days | Young leaving for good, looking for a territory of their own. |