25 September β 24 March
dates recorded for this region, not shifted from anywhere
Damp mountain meadow, peat and forest track edges; the small brown lizard well above where wall lizards stop.
Gives birth to live young rather than laying, which is what lets it live further north and higher up than any other reptile on earth. It is also the reptile most likely to be underfoot on a Carpathian forest track in July, and the least likely to be noticed.
photos, sightings and recordings, off this site
where this species is on the list
| Phase | When | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| wintering in cover | 25 September β 24 March | 181 days | Reptile dormancy β sluggish rather than truly asleep, and broken by warm spells. |
| going about the year | 25 March β 24 April | 31 days | Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out. |
| courting | 25 April β 19 May | 25 days | Song, display, fighting, scent-marking β pairs forming or reaffirming. |
| pregnant | 20 May β 14 July | 56 days | Pregnant. Nothing to see from outside, which is why the dates matter. |
| raising young | 15 July β 24 August | 41 days | Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed. |
| young dispersing | 25 August β 24 September | 31 days | Young leaving for good, looking for a territory of their own. |