Wall lizards: how you can attract Jersey's native lizards to your garden

Hannah Ludlow went to Mont Orgueil castle, a local hotspot for wall lizards, to try and spot some of Jersey's resident reptiles...

In the crevices of some of Jersey's oldest walls you might spot a native species of lizard.

Wall lizards are found no where else in the British Isles, except for approximately 20 introduced colonies in the UK.

They appear as soon as the sun comes out in Jersey, so islanders are most likely to spot them between March and July.

Male wall lizards appear first and try and take the best territory.

Whilst males have a blotchy appearance on their backs, females have a pale brown back, with streaks down their sides.

Islanders are being encouraged to look out for wall lizards during the Easter holidays, with a new trail to follow at Mont Orgueil castle.

JP Hamon-Cole, site guardian at Mont Orgeuil, says those with gardens can attract wall lizards to their homes.

He says: "you need to have a south-facing wall, so that’s where the sun is going to be most of the time.

"If you want to attract a lot of their prey then you’ll need old bits of wood and sticks, anything that attracts woodlice then they’ll eat that.”

Old walls are ideal for wall lizards due to their love of whizzing in and out of cracks, and a soil bed will encourage the females to lay their eggs in June and July.