Wall Lizards (Podarcis muralis)  are relatively new critters to Vancouver Island.  Our population is derived from a small number of lizards that where released in 1970 from a now defunct zoo that was located on Rudy Rd on the Saanich Peninsula.  The lizards are spreading quickly and there are populations throughout the Saanich Peninsula, and isolated populations in Langford, Nanaimo and on Hornby Island.  Biologist Christian Engelstoft and I are tracking their spread to is you see any in other areas we would like to know about it (a comment here will work fine).  Their impact on native ecoystems is unknown, but often they rapidly reach very high densities, and are agile and heavy feeders on a wide variety of invertebrates.  They are far more agile than our native Alligator Lizard and they are able to scale walls, trees, drainpipes and can be found on the ground, cliffs or even building roofs.  They are most active in warm weather, but we have records from every month of the year, so they seem to be able to take advantage of warm weather periods even in the winter months. We think they are spreading by themselves as well as being assisted by being moved by people and horse trailers.

  Wall lizards were first  noted on Leaning Oaks in the late summer of 2013, and Leah photographed a female here yesterday. 

Our predilection for building things out of rocks on Leaning Oaks suits the alligator lizards just fine. They use the spaces and cracks to hide and will sit atop the rocks to sun themselves. Elgaria coerulea  bear live young, an average of five in B.C. where it is found across the southern  portion of the provice, with the exception of the very southeast corner. 

Very secretive, one usually just catches sight of a tail disappearing into a crack. The resident dog is determined to catch one and usually she is not even close. Except once when she managed to get a hold of the tip of a tail and we had a vivid display of caudal autotomy.  The lizard was long gone, but there lay a writhing tail doing exactly what it is meant to do -distract a predator. Unfortunately this individual will have lost the fat reserves that are stored in that area, expend energy to re-grow a tail and will have its movements compromised without the stabilizing influence. 

It is very exciting to hear the first rustle of the leaves and dry grasses in the spring as the snakes emerge and the little ones head out to explore the world. The gartersnake that we see most frequently at Leaning Oaks is the northwestern or Thamnophis ordinoides. They are very variable in colour from the ones seen above to a drab plain brown. They feed on slugs and earthworms -a happy thing for the garden! The females can be nearly a meter in total length. The small, blunt nosed head that is not very distinct from the rest of the body  help to distinguish this species from the other two gartersnakes that are found on Vancouver Island- and B.C.. They are also the most terrestrial of the three species.

We had an amazing experience one afternoon as we watched a Great Horned Owl slowly, slowly stalk an adult northwestern garternake, grab it and then start at the head and feed it slowly lengthwise down it's bill - all while the owl stood on a bench below our vantage point from an upper window.