Feet Like a Dragon - _TNY_6992
With the climate up here, there are only three species of lizard in Scandinavia: the slow worm, the sand lizard and this one, the viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara).
Now you're thinking, what does viviparous mean? Well, since this species lives further north than any other non-marine reptile, burying the eggs in the sand and let the sun do the brooding so to speak, does not really work. Instead the female gives birth to live young - which explains the scientific name: Both Zootoca and vivipara means "live birth" in Greek and Latin respectively.
I discovered this female on the Havtornsudd cape on the Gålö peninsula in Stockholm's southern archipelago and managed to catch her. My son here was happy to hold her for me as I took a couple of shots before we let her continue with her business.
Feet Like a Dragon - _TNY_6992
With the climate up here, there are only three species of lizard in Scandinavia: the slow worm, the sand lizard and this one, the viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara).
Now you're thinking, what does viviparous mean? Well, since this species lives further north than any other non-marine reptile, burying the eggs in the sand and let the sun do the brooding so to speak, does not really work. Instead the female gives birth to live young - which explains the scientific name: Both Zootoca and vivipara means "live birth" in Greek and Latin respectively.
I discovered this female on the Havtornsudd cape on the Gålö peninsula in Stockholm's southern archipelago and managed to catch her. My son here was happy to hold her for me as I took a couple of shots before we let her continue with her business.