Lizard Party

[Peter Oefinger]

Hi there,
as I live near the arctic circle, Zootoca vivipara is one of my personal highlights, as it has no problems with cold climate
During last weekend's trip to the Eifel hills in Western-Germany I witnessed a Zootoca family get-together. So, excuse me for presenting this rather common species and enjoy these fascinating animals.

The Eifel hills: beautiful landscape with rough climate...

...this is Zootoca country!

A specimen with a dark dorsoral stripe.

This blotched specimen is observing the camera.

Last years annuals were also joining the family party.

A quite long-tailed adult

At a closer look I noticed this new born juvenile following an adult.

And then they were everythere: fresh juvenile dragon babies...

This one was climbing on a bush to enjoy the sun.

...while this one prefered a tree trunk for warming up.

With so many lizards there are of course some predators: Coronella austriaca

And finally we came across this Anguis fragilis with remarkable pale colouration

Regards
Peter

[Liam Russell]

Nice pictures Peter, I don't care if it is a common species, I like to see them. I've started seeing quite a few newborn Zootocas in the past few weeks too.

The female in your first picture looks like she has just given birth, notice the folds of skin down her sides.

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Peter, I wish more people would post Pics of Amphibian and Reptiles they have in front of their door!!
It must not be always something special, I like too see pics of common animals!
Thank you very much for sharing!

[Ilian Velikov]

Great presentation of that lizard family! The fact an animal is common doesn't make it less interesting! Thanks a lot for this post!

You say one of the youngsters was following an adult! Are you sure that it wasn't just hanging around with the group...and if you're sure it was following the adult do you think they do that often, trying to learn things from them? It would be very interesting to know something more about that! We know that Z.vivipara are social ,but young learning from older ones is something more than just living togethr in a group!

Ilian

[Peter Oefinger]

Ilian,
I don't think the juveniles are guided by the adults. Then I came closer with the camera, the lizards first disappeared. After some moments they subsequently came out again, first the adults and then the juveniles. Thats what I meant with "following an adult".
I would say the juveniles are guarded by the adults somehow but not "teached". Anyhow, I don't know, if Zoootoca is simply less agressive than other lizards or if they have more complicated social structures - I observed the adults, the last years juveniles and the fresh juveniles together.
Regards
Peter

[Tibor Sos]

in the last two consecutive years I was in Finland, in Oulanka Research Station, situated also close to arctic circle, and we found couple habitats of Rana temporaria, Zootoca vivipara and Vipera berus. the common species aren't boring species! interesting here is that Vipera berus is not protected by law!

[Ilian Velikov]

Peter, I see what you mean ! I don't know about how social are Z.vivipara,either! P.muralis also live in big groups with animals of all age in it...and I've seen more than one male in the group...they only deffend territories during the breeding season (as far as I know). How's that with Z.vivipara? Does these families consist of one male and many females and young or there are more than one males in a group!?

Tibor,
Very nice photos,as usual!

Ilian

[Peter Oefinger]

Thanks for your comments!
@Tibor: My photos are not really from the "arctic circle" - they are 50° north. The Eifel is just a mountain area with rather atlantic climate. Therefore, your photos from Finland are interesting: As far as I know, Zootoca vivipara even lives north of the arctic circle in Scandinavia.
@Ilian: I don't know, if the lizards have family structures or something similar like e.g. Agamas. Maybe it is just a combination of high population density and low aggression. I will will have a look if I will find something about that in literature.
@Liam: Yes, the skin of the first female lizard looks folded - here's a photo from a pregnant one in June:

Zootoca.jpg (209.6 KiB) Viewed 4705 times

Regards
Peter