Back from the brink THE SAND LIZARD

Emerging from its metre-deep burrow in spring, the male sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) transforms from a dull brown to an electric green to woo a mate. Once common throughout southern England, habitat loss has caused populations to plummet. Yet hope is on the horizon. Last year, after a bumper breeding season at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, conservationists released 200 youngsters to Puddletown Forest in Dorset to allow them to flourish once more. marwell.org.uk