Common lizard.................Lacerta vivipara

This one was rescued from a local cat that had it cornered behind a flower pot in my garden.

	Here on my hand to show the size of it.They have very "sticky" claws,I imagine to help them to climb.
Common lizards have long bodies and short legs. They have coarse scales which range from grey, brown, bronze or green on the back, and males are generally darker than females. They have a series of white spots down the flanks, which fuse to form a line, and a black line along the back and also have numerous black spots scattered over the body. Males have orange/yellow bellies with black spots and females have cream/white bellies. They have the ability to shed their tails in order to fool predators when threatened. they commonly hunt insects, spiders, snails and earthworms stunning their prey by shaking it, and then swallowing it whole. They hunt during the day, using sight and scent.

Total length is 10-16 cm. The tail is up to twice the length of the body. The head is small, the neck thick and the skin has obvious scales and a variable pattern. Females usually have a stripe down the middle of the back. The pale spots on the back are more obvious on the male, while the pale underside may be orange in some males.Common lizards are widespread and are not considered to be endangered.
It is also known as the viviparous lizard, because it gives birth to live offspring
In Wales they are often seen in and around dry stone walls or along railway tracks, where they bask on the stone ballast beside and between the tracks.
They are still found in many parts of Britain but are not common.