GREEN LIZARD 

SCIENTIFIC NAME :-       Lacerta viridis

OCCURRENCE :-              Channel Islands,S. to N.Spain, Sicily, Greece

HABITAT :-                     Open woodland,River banks

SIZE :-                            Length 30 to 45 cm

FAMILY :-                       Lacertidae

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS :-

1. It is an elongate , medium-sized lizard with large scales on head and belly and a long tail.
2. Males are bright green , finely engraved with black . Females are often chiller green or brownish.
3. The colour becomes bright in spring when it is the breeding season and fades later in the year.
4. An agile climber it feeds on insects , larvae , spiders and other small invertebrates.
5. The male compete fiercely for the females in the mating season.
6. The male grasps the female with its jaws while mating.
7. The female 4-21 eggs which she buries in a hole dug in the soil.
8. The eggs remain there for several moths while they develop and hatch.