What is Britain’s largest lizard?

Britain is home to only three native species of lizard: common lizards (zootoca vivipara and lacerta vivipara), sand lizards (lacerta agilis), and slow-worms (anguis fragilis).

The longest of the three lizards is the slow-worm. It’s long, legless body means that often this lizard is mistaken for a snake. Reaching 50cm (19.6in) in length, they are distributed across the country and are commonly found in gardens; particularly in compost heaps or under logs.

Despite being widespread, Britain’s largest lizards are protected by law. The Wildlife and Countryside act makes it illegal to kill, injure or sell the species.

To learn more about lizards, take a look at:

Frill-necked lizards explained

How does the horned lizard protect itself?

What’s the biggest lizard ever to live?

Why do monitor lizards flick their tongues so frequently?

To feature in our Brain Dump section, send us your questions to [email protected] or message us on Facebook or Twitter

For more science and technology articles, pick up the latest copy of How It Works from all good retailers or from our website now. If you have a tablet or smartphone, you can also download the digital version onto your iOS or Android device. To make sure you never miss an issue of How It Works magazine, subscribe today!