6 Types of Lizards Found in Ukraine (2025)
Do you want to learn about the different lizards in Ukraine?
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 Ukraine:
#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 Ukraine 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. European Glass Lizard
- Pseudopus apodus
Also known as Pallas’s Glass Lizard and European Legless Lizard.
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults can reach a maximum length of 135 cm (4.43 ft).
- Their coloring varies, but most commonly, they are brown and tan with scattered orange or reddish dots.
At first glance, this lizard in Ukraine might be mistaken for a snake!
You need to look closely to identify its tiny vestigial legs. They’re almost non-existent, so this reptile slithers on its belly instead of walking around. And while this might be the most obvious difference between it and other lizards, it’s not the only one! These amazing creatures have a lifespan of up to 50 years, much longer than most animals.
This species prefers dry areas like sparsely wooded hills or short grasslands but is more active in wet weather. Its favorite meal is snails, which they crack with their hard teeth and strong jaw. However, they won’t say no to arthropods or small mammals either.
There are a few key differences you can look for to determine if you’ve found a legless lizard in Ukraine or a snake:
- Legless lizards have eyelids and ear openings, which snakes lack.
- Snakes have wide jaws that can be unhinged to consume large prey, while legless lizards’ jaws are fixed.
- Legless lizards have unforked or notched tongues, whereas snakes’ tongues are completely forked.
#3. 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 Ukraine.
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.
#4. Balkan Wall Lizard
- Podarcis tauricus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are about 8 cm (3 in) long.
- They are bright green in spring and olive green to brown in summer.
- Their backs are brownish with black spots.
Balkan Wall Lizards can thrive in nearly any habitat in Ukraine.
This sturdy reptile is a generalist, meaning the climate and conditions of its habitat don’t matter much. However, they prefer dry, open grassland areas like meadows, rural gardens, and dunes. They love any spot with sparse vegetation where they can roam and search for food.
When mating season arrives, male Balkan Wall Lizards waste no time to secure a suitable female. There is great competition among males, who assert dominance and fight for the right to mate. Females lay between two and ten eggs twice yearly, from mid-April until mid-July.
#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 Ukraine, 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 Ukraine.
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 Ukraine?
Check out these ID Guides!
-
The 30 MOST Common Birds in Ukraine!
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The Complete List of FROGS found in Ukraine
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The VENOMOUS SNAKES that live in Ukraine
Which of these lizards in Ukraine have you seen?
Leave a comment below!
