AI overview
A sand lizard is a small reptile that lives in sandy habitats, primarily found in Europe. It matters because it is a protected species in many countries due to habitat loss and declining populations, making it an important indicator of the health of sandy ecosystems.
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Wikidata facts
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- P105
- species
- P141
- Least Concern
- P1889
- Martinček
- P9566
- diurnality
- P9714
- France
- P1552
Article
The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) is a lacertid lizard. There are several subspecies, including L. a. agilis, L. a. argus, and L. a. exigua.
The sand lizard is distributed across most of Europe from the southern coast of Britain and across the continent to Lake Baikal in Russia. It does not occur in European Turkey. Its distribution is often patchy. In the northern extremes of the sand lizard's distribution, it survives by inhabiting seaside heathlands, where the ground temperature is elevated by the sun. The sand lizard uses warm sand to thermoregulate itself and to incubate its eggs.