8 September β 8 October
the coastal calendar, shifted 24 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 | 8 November β 17 April | 161 days | Reptile dormancy β sluggish rather than truly asleep, and broken by warm spells. |
| going about the year | 18 April β 18 May | 31 days | Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out. |
| courting | 19 May β 17 June | 30 days | Song, display, fighting, scent-marking β pairs forming or reaffirming. |
| pregnant | 18 June β 7 September | 82 days | Pregnant. Nothing to see from outside, which is why the dates matter. |
| raising young | 8 September β 8 October | 31 days | Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed. |
| young dispersing | 9 October β 7 November | 30 days | Young leaving for good, looking for a territory of their own. |