sand lizard

The wild, flat landscapes dotted with gorse and heather are known for their wildlife, including rare species like the sand lizard, woodlark and silver-studded blue butterfly.

In a plethora of cases, activists demanded that permits for the expansion be overturned, asserting that builders had destroyed sensitive dune reserves where the rare natterjack toad and sand lizard live and breed.

Where once there was rich heathland, home to rare species, including sand lizards, there is now desolation.

Grasshoppers, sand lizards, nightingales, and skylarks that are declining or threatened elsewhere have been found thriving in the city’s green spaces.

Studland Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to all six species of native British reptiles, including the nationally endangered sand lizard and smooth snake, and the rare Dartford Warbler.