Sand lizard  (Lacerta agilis)

The principal reason for the decline of the sand lizard is the massive loss of its habitat. During the 20th century, in north-western Europe and in the UK, large areas of heath disappeared for development or agriculture. Native sand lizards have been lost from Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Cheshire and Wales. The surviving populations are often fragmented, surrounded by conifer plantations and built land. Heathlands are also highly susceptible to fire and damage through recreational use.

Due to the drastic reduction in numbers, the sand lizard is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994 (both of which implement European legislation). It is also included in English Nature's Species Recovery Programme. Efforts to increase the populations of this attractive reptile include the protection of existing sites, management and re-creation of heathland and dunes suitable for the lizards, and reintroduction of animals to specially prepared sites within their known or presumed former range. This is achieved through a number of initiatives, including specific sand lizard conservation work led by The Herpetological Conservation Trust, along with more general heathland work by conservation organisations including English Nature, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, MoD and the National Trust. In the last few years, sand lizards have been re-introduced to sites in Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Devon, Cornwall, Hampshire, West Sussex, Berkshire and North Wales.