When I was six (about 42 years ago) agilis was the first herp I caught, the start of my fieldherper-life.
When I was seven agilis was the first herp I kept and when I was elven it was the first herp I bred. I love Lacerta agilis!!
Many years later (now), when I go over the Alps, I picture every Lizard I find but when I see
a Lizard at home, I think nice, but “ just agilis” and I gave them not more Attention.
But this year I changed something, I tried to picture every agilis I found.
I tried to give them the respect they deserve.
But it was more difficult than I thought.
The season starts very dry, so not many activity.
I had to plan a Israel Trip, I done the Israel Trip.
Than we had bad weather (cold and rain) and the vegetation was growing high.
Than I had to plan the summer vacation, I done the summer vacation.
Came back and it was cold, a few days later the heat wave come over Bavaria, not many activity again.
I have done what was possible for me, but no special pics, no mating, no fighting, no feeding pics.
All in all I found something between 220 – 250 Individuals in different areas, sadly it was not possible to picture all.
The Season of the adults starts in the beginning of April, in the beginning/middle of August most of the adult males were gone, followed by the adult females at the end of August. In the beginning of September I saw just Neonates, half grown`s and adult females who needs more fat.
I saw at the middle of September a few adult females, they left their hibernation places for about 10 minutes and then they go under the ground for the rest of the Day.
Here are a few pics of the season 2012
The first one I found was a youngster at March the 20th in a Moor.
Later I found a few adults, but this male was just one of two I could get in a pic.
The Populations in Bog`s are darker than the other ones, I think.
Spring males
Gravid female
Sleeping Juvenile
Pair
My favourite Pair of the season
Female after egg-laying
female basking in the shadow at noon
At the end of June the males changed their colors from bright green to yellow green or washed out green. So I was surprised when I found a young bright green male at July the 28th.
At August the 5th I found the first Babies.
Moskito-shot
female without brown back band
female with many bands
A friend called me and told me there is a special coloration in agilis in an area close to the Alps.
I visited that area at August the 18th .
I saw nothing really special in that population, beside that the two bands on the backs are more silver-gray than gray-brown. The difference was the size, I never saw smaller adults like in this area. I caught a few for Documentation.
Male
I found a thin female and thought she looks like she had laid eggs a few Days ago but than I thought about the Date and thought not possible to late in the season for that, maybe she is sick.
Than I found that female, I pictured it and thought “Lady you are in a very good Condition”
I caught it again to check the belly. To my biggest surprise she was gravid, I felt eggs!!
I never found a gravid female agilis that late in the season and she live in an area where Frost is possible in the first weeks of September.
Hypo male middle of September!
I reaped myself again,
Moor Populations are darker than others.
Males lose the bright green color in the end of June beginning of July.
Males left to Hibernation in the beginning/middle of August
So I think you can imagine how big my surprise was when I found this light green colored adult Male in a Moor at 02.10. !!!!
The last I found was an adult male at the 06.10. !
So many surprises for me in this agilis-year, a Lizard I thought I know much about!
And for all of you who think “the agilis in my area looks all the same” look twice, it is worth it!
