Lanzarote is the island of sun, sea and…..lizards. These hot blooded creatures are found all over the island, as common as the beaches, volcanoes and palm trees.
They are known as the Atlantic Lizard, inhabiting the eastern islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and are a lot smaller than their counterparts on the rest of the Islands. There is a small population on the eastern coast of Gran Canaria but these were introduced, and so are not indigenous to the island.
They are mostly brown, with the males sporting a number of stunning turquoise spots on their bodies, which are smaller or absent on the females.
The lizards can be seen soaking up the rays in Haría, northern Lanzarote, and taking part in my personal favourite game, people watching. Well, not really, they’re just watching to see who will feed them. If you do that, you’ll become their best friend.
Despite the fact that they’re well equipped to deal with the Lanzarote heat, they can also get a bit too hot and can be seen dipping their tails in our villa pool, Lanzarote style.
An amazing trait of the lizards is that they can detach their tails, allowing them to escape to safety after dangling in, say, the mouth of a cat. The tail is left behind but the lizard grows a new one in no time. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi film, but this is just one of the countless wonders of the island of Lanzarote.
All in all, the lizards add to the scenery of the island, the perfect subject in a magnificent painting adored by everyone.