7 Types of Lizards Found in Switzerland (2025)
Do you want to learn about the different lizards in Switzerland?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! In the article below, I have listed the lizards you can expect to see. For each species, you’ll find out how to identify that lizard correctly, along with pictures, interesting facts, and RANGE MAPS!
7 Lizards IN Switzerland:
#1. Italian Wall Lizard
- Podarcis siculus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 15-25.5 cm (6-10 in) long.
- Their coloring is green or brown on the back with a light green or white belly.
- Males have larger heads, and Females have a distinctive striped pattern.
Italian Wall Lizards in Switzerland can be difficult to identify.
Their colors are varied because they can change color to adapt to certain environments. For example, individuals that spend more time in green vegetation might be greenish, while those that live in rocky areas are more brown or tan.
You can often find Italian Wall Lizards basking in the sun to warm up after a chilly evening. For their habitat, they prefer shrubby vegetation, sandy and rocky shores, pastureland, rural gardens, and urban areas.
This species spends most of the day hunting for small mammals and other lizards. They also eat small mollusks, crustaceans, and occasionally plant matter. Interestingly, some populations have increased their plant diet in recent years, making them more omnivores than carnivores.
#2. Italian Slowworm
- Anguis veronensis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 45 cm (18 in) long.
- Their coloring is a uniform gray to brownish.
- Females are larger and have a copper sheen with two black stripes
- In the breeding season, males have electric blue spots.
As its name suggests, this lizard in Switzerland isn’t very fast.
The Italian Slowworm prefers woodlands, heathland, and grassland, where it can find shelter to remain safe. Compost heaps are one of their favorite hangouts because they can eat as many insects and plant materials as they want! Think of it like a high-end slowworm buffet. 🙂
Due to their slow speed, Italian Slowworms shed their tails to escape predators. When this happens, the tail twitches on the ground, so hopefully, the predator will go after it and leave the lizard alone! The regenerated tail is shorter and more gray than the original one.
Unfortunately, humans often mistake these lizards for snakes and kill them out of fear. However, if you know what to look for, these legless lizards are easily distinguishable from a snake. Here are the differences to help you identify an Italian Slowworm:
- Slowworms have eyelids and ear openings, which snakes lack.
- Snakes have wide jaws that can be unhinged to consume large prey, while slowworms’ jaws are fixed.
- Slowworms have unforked or notched tongues, whereas snakes’ tongues are completely forked.
#3. Common Wall Lizard
- Podarcis muralis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are up to 20 cm (8 in) long.
- The pupils are round, and the eyes are large with immovable eyelids.
- Their coloring varies from shades of brown and gold to green and black.
European Wall Lizards are commonly found in urban areas and rocky outcroppings. They’re unafraid of people. You might find one scurrying across a sidewalk on a warm day!
These lizards are so comfortable around people that it’s just as likely to see them in a building as in the wild. They often prefer humid climates in the southern part of their range, but in the north, you can find them in dry habitats.
#4. Western Green Lizard
- Lacerta bilineata
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 13 cm (5 in) long, and their tails can double their body length.
- Females are speckled green over the body with a grayish face and neck.
- Males are similar in color, except their faces and necks are a bright blue instead of gray coloring.
Although it might be surprising to find a tropical-looking lizard in Switzerland, this is one of the most common reptiles around! These tough, territorial lizards prefer temperate forests and humid grassland instead of rainforests.
Look for Western Green Lizards in low-lying vegetation. They prefer to stay on the ground instead of climbing trees for shelter. Here, they hunt for large insects, their main source of food.
Western Green Lizards are similar to less common Eastern Green Lizards in many ways. They have the same appearance and behaviors. However, as their name suggests, the range of this lizard is to the east. For more info on Eastern Green Lizards, look here!
#5. Common Slow Worm
- Anguis fragilis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 40-45 cm (15-18 in) long.
- They are smooth, scaled, and legless, with heads that are the same width as their bodies.
- Often these lizards have stripes that run the length of their bodies, but some are solid in color. Common coloring is olive, brown, tan, and black.
Despite their name, Slow Worms are not worms at all but rather legless lizards. And if you’re wondering whether a legless lizard is just a snake, the answer is no! The reptile world can get confusing but no less fascinating when it comes to creatures like these.
Slow Worms spend most of their time buried in sand or underneath rocks and debris. They can be hard to find unless you’re willing to upend some stones in your search!
One of the most interesting behaviors of Slow Worms and many other lizards is the ability to sever their tail to escape a predator. This skill is called Caudal Autotomy. If a predator is chasing a Slow Worm or grabs its tail, the lizard simply breaks it off and continues to escape.
#6. Viviparous Lizard
- Zootoca vivipara
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 5-7 cm (2-3 in) long.
- Their skin is mottled brown, tan, and black.
- They have long tails compared to their body; however, if their tails are lost to predators, only a short stub grows back.
These tiny lizards are tough when it comes to cool weather in Switzerland, and they will hibernate through the worst of winter, from October to March. They must bask in the sun to maintain their body temperature in the summer, so you’re likely to see them during the day.
Viviparous Lizards are named for their method of reproduction. Instead of laying eggs like most other reptiles, these lizards give birth to live young! It’s thought that this gives their offspring a better chance of survival because they don’t have to survive through a helpless stage of egg development. Interestingly, in some regions, this lizard does lay eggs, which may have to do with a lack of predators in the area.
#7. Sand Lizard
- Lacerta agilis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 18-20 cm (7-8 in) long.
- Males are green with a brown stripe on the back and brown hind legs.
- Females are light brown with darker brown mottling.
As its name suggests, this lizard prefers dry habitats in Switzerland.
Look for sand lizards in rock gardens, beaches, dunes, or rocky outcrops. They spend most of the day in the open, basking in the sun to retain as much heat as possible. You’re likely only to see one at a time because these territorial lizards rarely bask together.
While basking, Sand Lizards need to remain alert to the many predators that view them as a tasty snack. Birds of prey, foxes, and cats appear to be some of the most common dangers for these lizards. However, they’re also hunted by snakes and badgers. When confronted by danger, they use their exceptional speed to flee. They can also separate their tail from the rest of their body to get away!
Do you want to learn about MORE animals in Switzerland?
Check out these ID Guides!
-
The 29 MOST Common Birds in Switzerland!
-
The Complete List of FROGS found in Switzerland
-
The VENOMOUS SNAKES that live in Switzerland
Which of these lizards in Switzerland have you seen?
Leave a comment below!
