6 Types of Lizards Found in the Czech Republic (2025)
Do you want to learn about the different lizards in The Czech Republic?
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!
6 Lizards IN The Czech Republic:
#1. Green Lizard
- Lacerta viridis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 15 cm (6 in) long with tails that reach 25.5 cm (10 in).
- They are green with small black spots all over, especially on their backs, and they have a bluish throat.
- Males have a larger head and a more pronounced blue throat.
Green Lizards in The Czech Republic are shockingly bright.
They look like an animal you might find in the jungle, but they prefer dense vegetation, hedgerows, open woodland, and bramble thickets. You can often spot them near embankments, basking in the late afternoon sun.
The Green Lizard feeds on small mice, invertebrates, insects, and bird eggs. They also eat some fruit, including berries and tree fruit.
Like some other lizards, this species will sever its tail to escape predators. However, this cagey lizard has another interesting defensive strategy. If a predator pursues it, it will run away in a zig-zag pattern to confuse its attacker. Once there is enough distance, it will suddenly stop, turn around, slowly creep back toward the predator, and hide. As the predator rushes to catch it, thinking it is ahead, it darts straight past the lizard hiding in a bush or under a rock!
#2. Eastern Slowworm
- Anguis colchica
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 50 cm (20 in) long.
- Their coloring is brown on the body with darker brown flanks.
- Males have noticeable blue spots on the back during mating season.
Eastern Slowworms are a type of legless lizard in The Czech Republic.
Despite their confusing name, these creatures aren’t worms at all! In fact, you might get them confused with a snake because of their lack of legs and the way they slither around on their bellies. Here are the differences to help you identify an Eastern 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.
You can find Eastern Slowworms in forest clearings and along trail paths basking in the sun. This species likes to occupy the burrows of small rodents but also feels at home under stone piles and wood debris. They often venture into suburban gardens, especially to catch a meal.
Although this reptile loves basking in the sun, it is most active at night and after rain. As its name suggests, it’s not one of the fastest lizards out there and prefers slower prey like earthworms, insect larvae, and slugs.
#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. 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.
#5. 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 The Czech Republic, 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.
#6. 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 The Czech Republic.
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 The Czech Republic?
Check out these ID Guides!
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The 30 MOST Common Birds in the Czech Republic!
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The Complete List of FROGS found in The Czech Republic
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The VENOMOUS SNAKES that live in The Czech Republic
Which of these lizards in The Czech Republic have you seen?
Leave a comment below!
