Wall lizards ( Podarcis muralis) have a small Devon population in Newton Ferrers, South Hams and I am lucky enough to have a group resident in my patio garden.

They live around the potting-up table and I have been watching them from my balcony for three years.

They enjoy foraging and hunting in garden debris so the border areas were left to gather leaves and moss, while plants seeded into a tiled area.

I had noticed that they often basked along the edge of a step,so I put a ruler to see if they would measure their
own lengths. Guinevere was 19 cms. Gladys found a woodlouse behind the ruler.

I try not to interfere with their activities, but I noticed Gwendolen basking on some moss and wondered how
she might deal with a different pillow, and put a fuchsia flower nearby. She climbed onto it.

I have seen them mating many times…..it starts when the male bites the female’s tail so see if he is welcome…

Agravain bites Gladys, and she is receptive…

Their tongues pick up scents and transfer the data to an organ in the roof of the mouth (called a Jacobson's organ).

It seems that from this memory bank, they can identify individuals nearby without being able to see them.

Following another mating, Bedivere puts an arm over Angharad. Males have noticeably larger heads.

…no doubt here, resident Alpha Male Agravain, who at this stage had mated regularly with Guinevere, Gladys and Angharad, sees a newcomer, Bedivere, as a rival for his ladies, and flies into the attack…

…Bedivere’s mouth opens in pain, and they then wrestled, but the attack was in vain, and within a week, Agravain was not seen again, and within two weeks Bedivere had mated with all the ladies. The new order prevails……..

Raymond is new to herpetology and would welcome comments from lizard experts on behaviour he has observed. Please feel free to contact him via email.