The sand lizard is England's rarest lizard, restricted to lowland heathland and coastal sand dunes in the south. Males turn brilliant green in spring — one of England's most colourful reptiles. Loss of open sandy areas threatens breeding success.
Sand lizards face welfare threats from two sides: loss of open sunny habitat through scrub encroachment reduces thermoregulation opportunities, and loss of bare south-facing sandy soil prevents egg-laying. Females carrying unlaid eggs suffer from egg retention — a welfare emergency that can be fatal without intervention. Heathland management that includes rotational burning and scrub clearance directly creates the bare sandy areas needed. Reintroduction programmes have successfully established new populations at 30+ sites across the south — with welfare monitoring showing that newly released lizards achieve normal body condition within one breeding season.