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I don't often find slow-worms and when I do it's mostly just a glimpse of the tail, as they slither away into the grass. But this one, sitting in the middle of the footpath, was more accommodating - perhaps it was still chilled after a cool night and was still warming itself up in the early morning sun. I think it is the most beautiful specimen I have ever found, maybe around 14 inches long.
When it sensed my presence it looped back over itself and very slowly slithered towards the grassy verge.
As it moved it constantly flicked its blue tongue, using it to sense its surroundings.
Another old photograph found in the back of a cupboard.
Taken about 20 years ago in Hamsterley Forest and showing an unusual emerald green variant of the viviparous lizard.
I'm not sure whether is was a young one in the process of acquiring more typical colours or whether it was part of a population whose colours were better adapted to a forest habitat. I've never seen another green one.
Those that live on open moorland nearby are usually coloured with shades of brown, grey and buff. Click here for a photo of a more typical local example.
If you are a viviparous lizard (aka common lizard, aka Lacerta vivipara), on the lookout for food, safe shelter and warmth, then a dry stone wall has a lot to recommend it.
The sunny side of the wall is the perfect spot to bask in the morning after a cold night, until your blood warms up....
... and those nooks and crannies between the stones are a safe retreat when dangers - like moorland kestrels, for example - hove into view. Add to that the fact that the wall is probably home to plenty of small, tasty invertebrates that you can snack on, plus the way in which the sun-warmed stones tend to act as a night storage radiator after darkness falls, and its easy to see why dry stone walls are amongst the best places to look out for these lovely reptiles.
I took these photos (which are scanned colour transparencies) a few years ago now, on a dry stone wall on the moors above Wolsingham in Weardale. Must go back soon for another look ......
More on the wildlife of walls here.
More on local reptiles here.
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