Sand Lizard

Question

Unknown lizard   QUESTION: Could you help me identify the lizard in this picture. It was brought in this morning by one of our cats. We live in Southern Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Almijara. We see many small lizards but have never seen one like this before.
Many thanks

ANSWER: Hi John,
I believe its a sand lizard.  If you go to http://www.oeko-msc.de/rept2-en.html and scroll down to the 8th set of pictures, you can see pictures. There are several sub species of the sand lizard that will present different colors. This link shows some of the color variations.
http://www.euroherp.com/species/Lacerta_agilis/

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QUESTION: Hi, Many thanks for identifying the lizard for me and certainly the photos do match with the specimen I poster. However, I have a problem. According to websites from Spain, including the Spanish Ministry of the Environment, the Sand Lizard is only found around the Pyrenees in the North of Spain. We are in Andalucia in the South of Spain - many hundreds of miles away.
Any thoughts?
John.

Answer
Hi John,
Gets confusing when you read the natural habitat of a reptile. Reptiles do relocate as they are forced out of their natural habitats.  They can also get to different areas as "hitch hikers" in luggage, etc.  They can also be let go from people that think its the proper thing to do, without realizing the danger un natural relocation can do.  Here, in the USA, even though green iguanas are not native to Florida and other southern states, many states are being overrun with the species, causing great havoc and destruction. When they are relocated, either by accident or neglect, they adapt to their new environment.
I've found a few more sites that you can check out to see if your lizard picture can match another species of the lacerta.
http://www.hylawerkgroep.be/jeroen/index.php?id=47 has wonderful pictures of various reptiles, etc..actually, I am rather jealous that you have such an array of gorgeous reptiles to look for there!!!
rock lizard or wall lizard, but the head type is different than the picture you posted, may possibly be a rock lizard:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedriaga%27s_Rock_Lizard You can tell better as you saw the lizard in person as to if the head type matches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_lizard has a wonderful head shot of the lizard that you saw.