A giant beetle with impressive “antlers”: the male stag beetle If you've found a huge beetle with antler-like pincers on its head, it can only have been a stag beetle (Lucanus cervus): the largest beetle in Europe. Male stag beetle on moss Despite its dangerous-looking “antlers” – which are actually its mandibles, or upper jaws – the European stag beetle is completely harmless to humans. However, it can defend itself, and if you try to pick it up, it can pinch your finger quite painfully (I speak from experience ;-) Can administer quite a pinch with its powerful mandibles: the stag beetle The stag beetle is not a pest, and you should consider yourself lucky if you see these beautiful insects, as they have become very rare in many places and are strictly protected in most countries. Only the males have “antlers” which they use to combat their rivals much like deer (hence the name); the female beetles do not have enlarged jaws and are usually much smaller. Female stag beetle: unlike the males, they do not have “antlers" However, the size of this beetle species generally varies greatly, depending both on the region as well as on the food conditions during and individual's larval stage. Stag beetles spend most of their lives – between three and a maximum of eight years – as larvae in dead wood (mainly oak, but also other trees), on which they feed. The better the environmental conditions and the quality of the food, and the longer the larval stage lasts, the larger the adult beetle will be after pupation and the longer its “antlers” will be, with the largest males growing to almost 10 cm in length (the smallest, on the other hand, reach only about 3.5 cm). The life of an adult stag beetle lasts only a few weeks or months; the animals usually leave their pupae at the end of May at the earliest, then mate and die in late summer (the females live slightly longer than the males and die after laying their eggs). Despite their impressive size, stag beetles are capable of flight; during their short adult life, they are mainly seen flying at dusk in June and July when they are looking for a mate or food. Male stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) taking off They mainly feed on the sap of trees, preferably oak but also other deciduous trees, and if available, the sugary liquids of rotting fruit are also a welcome source of energy. In my garden in Ticino (Switzerland), where all the photos shown here were taken, the stag beetles were attracted to the fig tree - or rather the overripe delicacies it offered. Male stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) feeding on a rotten fig Male stag beetle on a rotten fig In case you're interested, you'll find a collection of my best nature photos here

A European garden spider - also known as "cross spider" or "cross orb-weaver" (Araneus diadematus) - about to bite its victim Although the bite of a European garden spider is not dangerous to humans, it is all the more deadly for insects that get caught in its web. The photos show how this huge female injects its venom into a wasp with its chelicerae. The venomous fangs - the “chelicerae” - of the European garden spider are clearly visible in the photo It was pure luck that I caught the exact moment of the spider injecting its venom into its prey with my camera: just as I was trying to photograph a huge cross orb-weaver in my garden, the wasp flew into its web. Within seconds, the spider had wrapped up the insect, while I was clicking away wildly. The victim - a scoliid wasp (Scolia hirta) - tried to defend itself with its sting, but the moment the spider injected its venom, the fight was instantly over. The cross spider sinks its chelicerae deep into the wasp, the venom will dissolve and liquefy the victim's internal structures After the venom of the cross spider has taken effect and the inside of the wasp has liquefied, it is sucked out by the spider With a body length of up to approx. 2.2 cm (not including the legs), the garden spider is one of the largest European spiders. Depending on the environment, this species can be colored differently; it lives between 1 to a maximum of 3 years, depending on the environmental conditions, and is often found in our gardens. The males are significantly smaller than the females and also have a shorter lifespan; it is also not uncommon for them to be eaten by the females after mating. Cross spiders are not aggressive towards humans, and you would have to provoke them very strongly or hold them in your hand for them to bite. The largest specimens are able to penetrate the thinnest parts of human skin with their chelicerae when they bite, but the venom is harmless to humans (unless someone has an allergic reaction). A cross orb-weaver has caught a fly in its web In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

The snake most likely to bite you (albeit only in self-defense): the green whip snake (this photo of a subadult individual was taken in my garden in Ticino) The most "aggressive" snake species in Europe - in the sense that it is more likely to bite or attack humans compared to other species if one gets too close - is arguably the green whip snake or western whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus). This large colubrid can in rare cases reach lengths of up to two meters and will not hesitate to defend itself against a human if it feels threatened - that's the bad news. The good news is that this snake is completely harmless, extremely shy and actually very beautiful (there's also the melanistic - i.e. black - subspecies Hierophis viridiflavus carbonarius). And most importantly: snake bites in general are extremely rare in Europe, and so when I say this particular snake is more likely to bite you than others, we're still talking about very, very few such incidences - most of them undoubtedly provoked by humans. Our indigenous snakes only bite humans in self-defense, and the same is true for the green whip snake. Feisty but harmless: the green whip snake (subadult individual, photographed in my garden in Ticino) Some of the species' rear teeth appear to be slightly venomous, as has only very recently been discovered (which is probably why green whip snakes "chew" on whatever they bite in order to get those rear teeth into their victim or foe), but the venom is not dangerous for humans. In fact, a bite is in most cases not even painful due to the snakes minuscule teeth and relatively weak bite force. Attacks on humans occur either when the snake is surprised and it feels the human is already too close for flight to make sense, or when it is cornered and literally can't get away. What makes the snake the most "aggressive" in Europe (and I put the word in quotation marks because no European snake species can rightfully be called aggressive), is a rather fascinating character trait. Unlike most other snake species in Europe that will only attack you if you get really close and practically within touching distance (and oftentimes not even then), some green whip snakes - particularly big individuals - might decide even a distance of two meters is already too close to attempt flight, and that it's time to make a stand. Such an encounter can be quite scary, because the snake will hiss loudly and get into an upright position to appear bigger, but as mentioned before, it poses no actual danger to humans, and if you quickly retreat and give it a chance to flee, it will much rather do that and avoid confrontation. Despite its slightly cantankerous character, you should count yourself lucky if you see one, because this reptile will normally sense your approach (due to the vibrations you cause in the ground) and hide long before you have a chance to spot it. Adult green whip snake (photographed in the Valle Mesolcina, Switzerland) It's the fastest snake in Europe - it can reach a speed of 11 Km/h - which makes it an incredibly agile hunter, and it can also climb very well. Its preferred diet consists of lizards, but it will also prey on other small vertebrates such a birds, rodents and amphibians (and in rare cases even fish). The species occurs in Andorra, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Spain, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The photos above and below have with one exception all been taken in my garden in Ticino, Switzerland. I consider myself fortunate that this beautiful animal visits my garden every now and then, and I do everything to make reptiles feel welcome in it (also read: https://www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/attract-lizards-to-your-garden ). It is important to be aware that most reptiles species are threatened in Europe, because we humans destroy their habitats. A subadult green whip snake basking on an old tree root in my garden In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

A lizard bite is nothing to fear, and this western green lizard is simply yawning The bite of all lizards native to Europe is completely harmless to humans. Wild lizards do not bite humans on their own initiative unless they are caught and held in the hand; it is understandable that they then bite in mortal fear. Such a bite is neither poisonous nor painful; most lizards only have minuscule teeth that can hardly be felt. The tiny teeth in the mouth of this lizard (a common wall lizard) are barely visible Of course, it can never be completely ruled out that bacteria that the lizard carries on or in itself will penetrate any pre-existing small wounds or scratches in the skin, or that allergy sufferers will react particularly sensitively, but this risk is very low (or certainly no greater than with an insect bite or small skin injuries caused by normal gardening). In any case, nobody needs to be afraid of lizards - on the contrary: they are beautiful animals that are extremely useful in the garden because they also have slugs on their menu. Unfortunately, they have become rare in many places, and you can help them by consciously leaving your garden in a natural state or making it reptile-friendly (you can see how to do this here ). Western green lizard basking on a woodpile in my garden Cute western green lizard peeking through the lavender in my garden In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata), male with blue throat and face and bright green body during mating season With its blue head and striking green body, the green lizard is undoubtedly the most colorful reptile species in the UK and in Central Europe. However, this is only true in spring and early summer during mating season. A western green lizard couple, the male on the left (blue-headed), the female on the right (turquoise-headed), during mating season Green lizards of the species Lacerta bilineata (the "Western" green lizard) and Lacerta viridis (the "European" green lizard) only show themselves in all their colorful splendor from around May to June. For the rest of the year, the lizards are usually much less intensely colored and consequently much harder to spot, as their green color serves as excellent camouflage in the grass and bushes. Male western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) with less intense green colors that blend well with the surrounding leaves (August 2021) Female western green lizard, perfectly camouflaged with "normal" coloration outside mating season The change to the more colorful "wedding suit" takes place from around April to May, with the first molt after hibernation. The difference from the "normal" coloring is particularly pronounced in the males, whose face and throat often appear bright blue or turquoise during mating season. Male western green lizard during molt The females also change color, although a little less noticeably. However, there are great differences in the coloring and color changes of green lizards, both regionally and within the same population.  In the case of females in particular, it is difficult to determine in the wild which patterns and colors are due to individual or regional variations rather than due to the season. Female western green lizard with a rather unusual color pattern To know exactly what the change in color looks like from autumn to mating season in spring, one would have to observe the same individual during different periods of the year, and that's precisely what I did. Last fall I photographed a male and a female western green lizard, and I was lucky enough to be able to track them down again in June of this year (green lizards are territorial and can often be found in the exact same places; in addition, each animal has an individual scale pattern on its face, which enables clear identification). These two individuals offer a perfect case study which allows me to demonstrate how exactly their color changes. So here's the comparison between September 2023 and June 2024: Male western green lizard in autumn 2023 with inconspicuous coloration (Maggia Valley, Ticino, Switzerland, September 2023) The same male western green lizard as in the picture above, but photographed here in early summer during mating season (Maggia Valley TI/CH, June 2024) Female green lizard of the species Lacerta bilineata, outside mating season in fall (Maggia Valley TI/CH, September 2023) Female western green lizard, the same individual as in the photo above, but photographed here during mating season in June (Maggia Valley, TI/CH, June 2024) The same male in autumn... ...and in spring The same female in autumn... ...and in spring In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos of many different species here

GREEN WHIP SNAKE (HIEROPHIS VIRIDIFLAVUS) HUNTING FOR PREY The snake in the photo is a green whip snake (Hierophis Viridiflavus). It's one of the biggest snakes to be found in Europe (the species is present in Andorra, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland), and it can grow to a length of almost 2 meters. The species is normally very shy; in my experience it flees with enormous speed as soon as it senses or sees a human approaching - unless, that is, it thinks the moment for fleeing has already passed. In those latter instances, it's very aggressive: it hisses loudly and gets into an upright position like a cobra, and if that doesn't help it will bite you and sometimes not let go (but to be clear, although a bite may be very painful and people with a phobia of snakes might die of fear, this snake is completely harmless ;-) The German name for the snake alludes to its short-tempered character: it's called "Zorn-Natter", which means as much as "anger-snake" (but to be precise, "Natter" is the German word for snakes in the family of the Colubridae, not snakes in general). Now this snake DID see me approach (probably long before I myself saw the snake), and judging from the look you can see in the photo above I'd say the fella wasn't exactly happy to see me - still, he didn't flee. It was early September, and I was looking for western green lizards (Lacerta bilineata) in the fly honeysuckle shrub right outside my garden in Ticino (Switzerland), when I suddenly realized a big branch stretching over the leaves of the shrub wasn't a branch at all. WESTERN WHIP SNAKE (HIEROPHIS VIRIDIFLAVUS) HIDING BETWEEN THE LEAVES OF A BUSH Because the snake didn't flee I naturally believed it hadn't seen me, and I assumed its head was on the far end (both ends of the snake's body were hidden in the foliage), so I tried to find an angle where I could see the head in the hope of a usable photo. No such luck: because it was the wrong end. Now the other - the near - end of the snake's body was indeed pretty near and only maybe 1.5 meters from where I stood, but my elevated point of view prevented me from seeing it, because it was hidden under the leaves (as you can see in the photo above). When I slowly went down to my knees to take a peek, I looked right into a pair of eyes that fixated me with the not very friendly stare you see in the photos. But why didn't the snake flee? This was strange (though I was grateful since it's not easy to get a good close-up shot of an animal that is normally so shy). And then I saw the reason: only 80 centimeters away from the snake there was a huge male western green lizard, basking in the sun. Now it all became clear: I had obviously interrupted the "biacco" (which is the snake's Italian name) just as it was getting ready to have a juicy lizard lunch. Much as my presence caused the snake discomfort and certainly fear, it just wasn't ready to let go of such a whopper of a meal. The lizard was blissfully unaware of either me or its impending doom, and dozing with half-closed eyes. Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata), peacefully basking, unaware of the threat of the nearby predator Thus I found myself faced with a terrible dilemma. You see, western green lizards are my favorite animals, and although I adore snakes too, the tiny local western green population - already under permanent siege by the many cats in the village and always on the verge of perishing - has grown close to my heart. After observing these lizards for so long, I know most individuals by their color patterns, and the loss of any of them really gets to me. But unlike with the cats (which is a human problem that the cats - whom I love dearly as pets - aren't to blame for), this snake was a natural enemy, and it also had to eat, so I knew the right thing to do was to let nature run its course. But knowing what the right thing to do is, and actually DOING the right thing, are decidedly not the same thing. To my shame, I decided to interfere (I honestly, REALLY am not proud of that, and I'm not kidding, but it is what it is). Once that decision was made, I quickly acted. I didn't want to chase the snake away because that seemed mean (and the fella hadn't done anything wrong), so rather than that I hoped I could catch the lizard's attention. What I actually did (and I promise that is the honest-to-God truth): I made a wave-like movement with my arm and hand. This was - obvisously - the sign for "SNAAAKE!!!" that I was sure would transcend the human-lizard communication barrier - and I'm sure it WOULD have, had Mr. Lizard not been happily dozing with its eyes now fully closed. So I whispered: "Duuuude, there's a huuuuge snake right next to you!" Naturally, I said this in Italian (these lizards have never been outside our village, so I knew they didn't speak English ;-) . No reaction. So in a final desperate attempt I shook the branch the lizard sat on, and now it dazedly openend its eyes. It took the target of my clumsy rescue attempts maybe a second to realize a two-legged, giant monster was shaking its residence, but then it quickly dove into the foliage for cover - but not alone: the snake was right behind it! Western whip snakes are extremely agile hunters, so through my idiotic action I might have doomed my green friend (who had no idea there even was a snake lurking when I caused him to move) after all. Truth is, I don't know what happened. Predator and prey disappeared at the same time, and then it was all quiet; I didn't hear the slightest noise that would have hinted at a struggle. When I came back to the shrub an hour or so later I spotted a male Lacerta bilineata that I'm pretty sure was the one I had tried to save. It didn't move when I approached and was either paralyzed with fear (or shock after a narrow escape), or it just thought I hadn't seen it and relied completely on its camouflage. Either way, this fella allowed me to make the best close-up and even macro shots I was ever able to make of the species (you can find those here in case you're interested). Who knows, I keep telling myself the little fella decided to pose like that out of gratitude... ;-) In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) with unusually bright colors The common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) is a species of lizard with a wide distribution in Europe. Although it probably wasn't native to the U.K., it has been introduced there in modern times with now several growing populations present in different parts of the country. It has also been introduced to North America where it is sometimes referred to as the "European wall lizard" or the "Lazarus lizard". It can grow to about 20 cm in length, and is a small, thin lizard whose scales vary greatly in color and patterns, as you can see in the photo galleries at the end of this post below. Common wall lizards mainly prey on insects, spiders, snails and worms, but they aren't picky and eat pretty much any creature that is small enough to fit in their mouth - and also the occasional small fruit or berry. Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) biting into a cherry Podarcis muralis often share the same habitat with the much larger western green lizards (Lacerta bilineata) , and in case you were wondering how they get along with their bigger cousins, the answer is: it's complicated. Smaller individuals of Podarcis muralis run like hell if they happen to get close to a fully grown western green lizard (because they rightly fear they might get eaten), and even the bigger common wall lizards seem to at least avoid their green neighbors. But it's not uncommon at all to see the commons bask in the sun right next to the bilineatas or even climb over them without any signs of fear. So it might depend on the specific habitat they share, how abundant food is for both species and if it's even possible for them to avoid each other. On the left a common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), on the right a western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) Common wall lizards also occasionally prey on each other (I witnessed one such incident and filmed it ; there's also a photo of the "cannibal" with the "corpus delicti" still hanging out of its mouth in the gallery below). What's fascinating also is that Podarcis muralis occur in at least six different morphs, which is not all that common among the same species, let alone within the same habitat. So if you've ever observed dark green individuals with orange bellies and brown ones with nearly white undersides and grey ones that are ornamented with blue "sapphires" on their sides, and you came to the conclusion that those must be the differences between subadults, males and females, the correct answer is in all likelihood: nope. They may all well be around the same age and of the same sex and definitely of the same species: it's just that these lizards apparently have evolved into six different "looks" (which also come with certain other distinctions regarding for example their immune systems; you can read about all that on Wikipedia). In addition to that, there's also regional differences, so I guess it's fair to say that common wall lizards don't like to be all that common and have a knack for colorful variations :-) All the individuals below I photographed in my garden in Ticino (Switzerland) or its immediate surroundings. In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Cannibalism among lizards - a male common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) devours a smaller female of the same species Acts of cannibalism among common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) are not unusual, but they probably don't occur very frequently in a natural environment. In my experience, the biggest males of the species eat pretty much anything they can overwhelm, but in roughly 40 years of observing lizards I've only ever seen one instance of a common wall lizard "doing a Hannibal Lecter" and munching on an individual of its fellow species. This was in May 2022, and although it was quite shocking to see a lizard eating its own kind, I was very happy to have my camera with me and that I was able to get some footage. And I have to admit: as gruesome as it was to watch this reptile devouring its smaller, aahm.. "mate", I always find it comical when a lizard tries to gulp down something that just doesn't fit (although it DID manage to swallow the other lizard whole in the end, except for its tail, which was just too long and remained there hanging out of its mouth like an oversized tongue as you can see in the last photo). But I believe unless there's a severe shortage of other prey like snails, worms and insects in their habitat, it is not common practice among our 4 native lizard species to feast upon each other, and even the much bigger western green lizards (Lacerta bilineata) usually behave quite indifferent towards their smaller cousins, and I often find them basking in the sun together. The scene of cannibalism I captured was very unexpected to me, because I first thought it was a mating ritual. The male grabbed the smaller female by the head and dragged her around for a while, and it looked like he just had her by the wrong end by accident and wanted to mate. But all of a sudden he started biting down on her head viciously and began to swallow her! I only started filming when I realized what was happening, so the beginning is missing, but if you're interested you can watch the film clip: Because the female is already twisted in her death struggle she looks smaller than she actually was, and the male is exceptionally big and certainly the "giant" in my garden, so I don't know; I guess it IS possible that this was a mating ritual gone wrong by mistake. After all, these reptiles don't have the biggest brains, and once they have something in their mouths, the impulse to gulp it down might occasionally become stronger than the one to procreate ;-) In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

The perfect habitat for western green lizards (Lacerta bilineata): my garden in Ticino Western green lizards' (Lacerta bilineata) preferred habitats consist of a mix of shrubs and open grassland, and as ectotherms the reptiles love to bask on a nice pile of rocks (or other sun-exposed structures such as piles of wood or low walls) to do their thermo-regulation. Male western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) basking in the root of a dead tree in my garden The galleries below show you where I shot almost all of the western green lizard photos on this website: my garden in the beautiful community of Monteggio/Tresa in the Malcantone region of Ticino, Switzerland. These pictures were taken over a period almost 20 years, so there were obviously some changes in the garden during that time, but If you focus on the palm tree (which has grown considerably over the years) and the shed, which remain always in the same spots and are visible in many of the pics, you get a sense of the geography of the place. In summer the micro-climate in this particular area of Ticino can be almost tropical in the sense that it's hot and very humid with frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain, and I often refer to my garden (half-)jokingly as my "little Swiss rain forest". I guess when you look at the photos you can understand why the place offers such an ideal habitat for western green lizards and other reptiles. An "old pirate" with only a stump of a tail; this adult male is foraging for snails in the vegetable garden Here you get an impression of the terrain that borders on my garden, a former vineyard that now often serves as a horse pasture, surrounded by a thick canopy of gorgeous, wild forest. In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Western Green Lizard (Lacerta Bilineata), Male During Mating Season, Ticino 05-2021 When male western green lizards are in love, their face turns blue. This doesn't happen instantly (they can't change color at will like chameleons); the lizards need to shed their old, slightly less colorful (but also very pretty) skin first, and once that is accomplished, they appear in the beautiful "wedding suit" you can see in the photo above. With this look they try to impress the lady lizards during mating season, which lasts approximately from May to June, but the colors are the most striking in the immediate aftermath of the lizards losing their "old coat". I was very lucky to capture this gorgeous male at this very moment; in fact, you can still see parts of the old, dark skin covering the top of its head and other parts of the body where it hadn't quite come off yet. But you may believe me when I say that shot was hard earned. The story goes as follows (I have an idea some nature photographer or other in this group will be able to sympathize ;-). This year in May when I hoped to photograph the green lizards around my vacation home with my newly purchased camera, I soon realized something was different from the years before, because I couldn't find a single one of my green friends in their usual spots in my garden. This came as a nasty shock to me, because after many years of photographing western green lizards - which are my favorite animals and not easy to find - in my garden with an old compact camera that yielded only mediocre results, pretty much the main reason I had bought the new camera in the first place was to finally be able to do the beauty of these gorgeous reptiles justice. To have these rare creatures in my garden had always been a source of great joy for me (even pride; after all, they had chosen MY garden as their habitat) - but now my favorite residents and stars of the photographic masterpieces I (at least in my mind) was going to produce with my expensive new toy had gone A.W.O.L. As I eventually would learn over the next few days, the entire western green population had relocated from my garden into a huge fly honeysuckle shrub just outside my garden next to an empty horse pasture. This actually made sense: because there they were relatively safe from the growing number of cats in our village that had specialized in lizard hunting and massacred my poor lizards in ever greater numbers. Up in that shrub, not only was it hard for any ground predators to get at them, but the reptiles also had an excellent 360° view of their surroundings and could see any approaching threat from afar. Western green lizards are naturally very shy, but this apparently traumatized group now had become hyper-alert to anything getting close to that bush, and they immediately fled into the thickest of the leaves whenever I tried to get near enough for a usable photo. Now, I'm not one to give up easily (and I really, REALLY wanted to get those photos), so I tried every sneaky-stealth-approach technique I could think of (even crawling on all fours - which in hindsight was a terrible idea since all it did was making me look like the world's biggest and ugliest cat to the lizards) - but to no avail. Completely exasperated, I came up with a new strategy. I would keep that fly honeysuckle shrub under constant observation; like an FBI agent preparing for a crackdown on a suspected Mafia hideout, I was there, watching and waiting, hour after hour, all day long. It took me several days until I had finally figured out at what times of the day the males usually left the fly honeysuckle shrub; I wanted to know their "schedule" so I could be there before them and blend in with the environment, ready to photograph them as soon as they would show up on the ground. And all my meticulous "lizard-stalking" seemed to pay off: the first day I applied this "method" a gorgeous male showed up just where I expected it to (although Mr Lizard had me waiting for almost two hours!). I was ecstatic - for all but two seconds. As it turned out, in my infinite ineptitude I hadn't considered where the sun would be and had installed myself in such a stupid angle that the lizard was backlit; in all the photos the little devil appeared only as a mostly black silhouette. I cursed my stupidity, tore out my hair and was close to throwing my expensive new camera against a wall in anger and frustration. Then I remembered the cold beer in the fridge and realized that life was still worth living, and I promised myself to do better next time. The next day I was smart enough to make camp in a spot form where the object of my photographic desire would be perfectly lit (from the lizard's perspective, now I would be the black silhouette against the sun ;-). I waited. And I waited some more. And it was hot and getting hotter by the minute. After nearly 3 hours during which my neighbors started to give me very funny looks (in fact, they had already decided the day before that I must be crazy, what with standing motionless in front of a bush for several hours in the burning sun), around noon, I'd had enough. And that's when I saw something moving in the grass. And there he was: barely visible through the thick green carpet, but definitely coming towards me. A few seconds later a virtual lizard king appeared, in all his gorgeous green and blue glory, and perfectly lit - and that's when I heard loud, happy voices approaching. Two young boys came running - and the lizard stopped dead in its tracks (unfortunately, it was still a bit too far away for a good photo). I'm not religious, but I started a quick prayer then and there (please God, please: let these kids not be running towards me - PLEASE!!!). But nope, God apparently remembered that I usually refer to myself as agnostic, and surely enough the two boys ran right to where I was - and where Mr Lizard now wasn't. All that yelling and running was too much for my lizard king: goodbye and "auf Wiedersehen"; see ya next year - and off he went. And that was that. I couldn't believe it; I felt a frustration so intense wash over me I regretted ever having picked up a camera. As for the kids, don't worry: both boys are alive and well ;-). It was the first day of their Pentecost holiday, and they had just arrived in the village. I was standing next to the empty horse pasture, and the two little boys now innocently asked me where the horsies went (they had obviously been looking forward to seeing them and now were very disappointed). I took a deep breath and muttered that I had no idea. I don't know how other photographers would have felt in that situation, but I only wanted to be left alone (and possibly tear out what was left of my hair and reconsider that wall and what nice noise it would make upon collision with my camera ;-). Needless to say, the kids had other plans. Now that it was clear that there were no horsies, I had become the main attraction, and they weren't going anywhere. So I swallowed my anger, accepted that - obviously - the kids didn't do anything wrong (and also that I would probably never ever be able to get that desired shot with my new camera). The boys were eager to know what I was photographing, and so I told them everything about western green lizards, about their amazing colors and how rare and shy they were, and that they were among the largest lizards in Europe and a protected species - and my two new friends became instantly fascinated. Now they wanted to wait and see this magical creature with their own eyes. I assured them there was no chance the lizard would come back after all the noise "we" had made, and just as I said this, one of the boys yelled "I see it!" And sure enough, he was right. Apparently my lizard king had decided that a little yelling and running wasn't gonna get between him and his favorite sun-basking spot, a little heap of cut, dry grass underneath the fence of the horse pasture. I told the kids to be very still - which they were - and then we all got to see how this beautiful creature emerged from the grass, very, very slowly and carefully, and positioned itself on the heap of dry grass in such a way that it got the perfect amount of sunlight (in the first photo the sun is still hidden behind the clouds, after that the sunlight became gradually stronger, and you can see well in the photo gallery below how the colors of the lizard change depending on the light). So in the end I got my portrait shot - and quite a few more in the weeks that followed (which you can find on my website if you're interested). During the remainder of their holiday the two kids would run into me every now and then, and every time they excitedly talked about this fantastic, blue-headed reptile they had seen with me that day. I guess only time will tell, but I hope this encounter has sparked an interest in nature in them (I have a feeling the next time they spend their holiday in our little village, the horsies will have some reptilian competition ;-) In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

A woodpile has attracted the western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) in the photo above to my garden If you intend to make your garden reptile-friendly to attract lizards, you don't actually have to do all that much. In the following photo series, I'll show you how to turn a conventional garden in 6 EASY STEPS into a colorful wildflower meadow and oasis for wildlife and insects. A few years ago, my garden looked like this: The worst kind of lawn for reptiles and bio-diversity in general: sod A lawn like the one in the photo above is a disaster for most reptiles. There's nowhere to hide, and lizards in particular have a hard time moving quickly on the grass stubble and thus become easy prey for cats and raptors. But there are also no flowers that would attract insects with their nectar, and a garden without insects - which is what many small vertebrates including lizards and birds mainly feed on - is a dead zone. Which is why my FIRST STEP was to completely remove the turf at the root. It might not have been necessary to get rid of the whole lawn, but I had previously tried to only partially remove the sod and plant wildflowers to attract swallowtails (which was temporarily quite successful, and you can read all about that here: https://www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/the-swallowtail-papilio-machaon-how-to-attract-butterflies-to-your-garden ). Unfortunately though, by the following year the thick grass had already taken over again, and the wildflowers and herbs mostly didn't stand a chance (by the way, in case you want to know which misunderstanding had led to the dreadful "sod desert" in the first place - because my garden didn't always look that way - you should also check out the link above :-). The first step to a wildflower garden: remove the turf to get a clean seedbed I chose late February to get rid of the lawn, because I wanted to have enough time to sow wildflowers that would already bloom the same year. Tip on how to proceed: drive a spade into the sod, but at an angle where it cuts almost horizontally underneath the roots (normally the roots don't go very deep). Then pull on the cut piece of turf and start rolling it up like a carpet, that way you'll make quick progress. Once the turf had been removed, I loosened the surface of the soil with a rake - this was STEP 2 . As a 3RD STEP , I created a few narrow paths by simply walking back and forth a few times on the soft soil while treading it with a bit of force, until the earth had become hard and flat in the desired places. Such paths are helpful if you want to observe and photograph the animals in your garden and thus would like to be able to move without trampling the plants. But these paths are also helpful because they provide open spaces in your garden where more sunlight is able to enter, which certain plants need, plus snakes and lizards also like to use such pathways to bask in the sun and also to move around more easily. STEP 4 consisted of dispersing wildflower seeds on the loose soil of the remaining garden areas (you can get a wildflower meadow seed mix at every garden center, just make sure it consists of native species). Wildflower seeds need no further help to germinate, but of course they will sprout faster if the soil is slightly moist and temperatures are mild. But the one thing you'll need most now is patience, because depending on the weather it may take several months until the plants really grow (in my case it took around two months). Two months later... By early May the wildflowers finally started to show a little (the larger visible plants in the photo above - irises, phlox, rosemary, lavender, field scabiouses and ox-eye daisies among others - are not from the wildflower mix but had already been constant residents in my garden before). STEP 5 consisted of bringing lots of rocks into the garden. I used these to create a natural barrier between my planned wildflower meadow and the existing garden flowers, but I also left piles of them in certain places. Most importantly, I made sure that all these rocks are laid out in such a way that there are lots of cavities under and between them where reptiles (and other small animals) can hide and find shelter. Rocks that are relatively flat are particularly useful for such “lizard lounges”, because if you place them at an angle to each other you automatically get little hollow spaces underneath them which function like tiny tunnels for snakes and lizards that allow them to move around undetected. But reptiles generally love to bask on rocks, and like the paths, they also create open areas in the garden where no plants grow and more sunlight can enter. My wildflower meadow is starting to take shape Another 3 weeks have passed; the picture above is from the 23th of May. As you can see, the plants are growing while the paths remain clear. A few days later the first field poppies (which were part of the wildflower mix) would already open their gorgeous red flowers, as you can see in the photos further down below. In the meantime, as the 6TH - and final - STEP , I had brought several small tree stumps (as well as other dead wood to create log piles and brush piles - more of which later) into the garden that I had collected in the nearby forest. Wood has the advantage over stone that it warms up quickly once it gets a little sunshine, which is why reptiles prefer it for basking during the cooler seasons. But these wooden stumps (as well as the rock piles) also provide the reptiles in my garden with slightly elevated positions from where they can observe their surroundings. Lizards are very territorial and want to see who enters their "turf", and such elevated spots in the garden often mark the key points of their territory, which they defend against rivals. I have highlighted 4 of these spots in the next photo: 4 elevated key points in a lizard's territory After I had completed the 6 STEPS as described above, several western green lizards moved into my garden over the course of the year, and from August onward, I was delighted to find a large male every day on one of the 4 spots marked in the photo above (see photo gallery below). It is important to mention, though, that this beautiful lizard species had always been present in the area around my house, but during the period of the "sod desert", I never spotted a single one in my garden, nor did I see any snakes. The perfect storm of my immediate neighbors getting several cats at a time where there were no hiding places in my garden proved fatal for the reptiles. But once I had completely removed the lawn and created woodpiles and built "lizard lounges" everywhere, it wasn't long before lizards - and snakes - colonized the garden again. But as I already mentioned: the prerequisite for this success was that there were still reptile populations in the area, which unfortunately in many places just isn't the case. And if there is a high density of free-roaming cats - who constantly prey on lizards - the chances in the long run for a relatively large lizard species like the western greens are slim at best. This is sadly also true for "my" population, but by transforming my garden in a way that provides ideal conditions for reptiles, I've hopefully improved the odds of their survival. The numbers of the lizard basking spots in the photos below correspond to the spots I marked in the previous photo. Spot No. 1 is occupied by a male western green lizard And the same shot in a closeup Stump No 2 is equally popular with Mr. Lizard And this old tree root (No 3) is also often used for basking And spot No 4 - the rock pile - was frequently visited for basking purposes by the lizard as well I also made the lower part of the garden more reptile-friendly with tree stumps, woodpiles and piles of rocks. Important : Hiding places for reptiles should not be too far apart throughout the garden so that the animals never have to move too far across open areas without protection. When creating the brush piles, I made sure to put them in places that were reached by either the first rays of sun in the morning or the last ones in the evening. This approach proved successful; I was soon able to observe snakes and lizards from sunrise until sunset in my garden. A brush pile in a spot that gets early morning sun The same woodpile as in the picture above in the morning sun, but a little later in the year, now overgrown with more plants and with a guest: a juvenile green whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) is basking on it This corner of the garden gets the most evening sun, which is why I put a root stump, a woodpile and some rocks here too This is the same spot as in the photo above at the end of May, now with a little more plant growth (if you look closely, you can see a red receptacle with water hidden under the dead tree root; western green lizards in particular like to drink when conditions are hot and dry for a long period of time, so it is advisable to offer them a place where they can safely get water without being immediately seen by predators). And this is again the same tree root, now with a male western green lizard basking on it And here's a closeup of the same male western green lizard, displaying its gorgeous blue and bright green colors during mating season I was able to observe snakes and green lizards all year round in my now reptile-friendly garden, but many other animals - especially insects and birds - also came to visit. All sorts of bumblebees, sweat bees and butterflies and honeybees obviously appreciated the variety of different flowering plants my garden now offered, because my wildflower meadow developed fantastically, as the following photo gallery shows: If you enjoy nature, I can highly recommend that you do the same as I did and turn your garden into a colorful paradise for wildlife: you won't regret it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm very happy with the result and my camera is busy nearly every day :-) In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

A large, venomous spider: the “Nosferatu spider”, here with its fangs - the “chelicerae” - clearly visible If you've found a big, unfamiliar looking spider in your house and wonder if it is venomous and dangerous, there's probably a good chance it's not some lethal "banana spider" that arrived from a tropical country and can kill you with its bite (though of course it could be ;-). The explanation for the presence of your eight-legged guest is more likely to be a little less exciting. Large spiders that originally felt more at home in the south of Europe can increasingly also be found in more northern latitudes, a good example is the "Nosferatu spider" (Zoropsis spinimana) which has even found its way to London. Another traveler slowly making its way to the north (albeit still relatively rarely seen, but I found one in Switzerland - in my shower of all places), is the radiated wolf spider (Hogna radiata). This species is related to and closely resembles the "tarantula wolf spider", the infamous spider that gave tarantulas their name (even though it's not a tarantula). The radiated wolf spider looks a lot like the tarantula wolf spider and was originally more at home in the Mediterranean basin, but can now already be found as far north as Switzerland. Of course these arachnids are - like all true spiders - venomous, but they pose no danger to humans (at most to people suffering from allergies, but those should probably be more concerned about native "dangers" such as bees or wasps). Those big spiders mentioned above are able to penetrate human skin with their chelicerae when they bite, but the same is true for some of the larger native species such as Eratigena atrica (the giant house spider), which can also frequently be found in our homes. A bite from these spiders can briefly be painful and cause temporary reddening of the skin on the affected area, but as mentioned, this is not dangerous. Furthermore, these spiders are not aggressive and will only bite if provoked (and often not even then). Above all, they are beneficial creatures that keep our homes free of all kinds of annoying bugs. The Nosferatu spider resembles a wolf spider, but belongs to the Zoropsidae family The photos were all taken in my garden in Ticino in Switzerland (but I found the spiders in the house; before I released them back into the wild, they had to endure a brief photo shoot :-) A radiated wolf spider (Hogna radiata) cleaning its chelicerae In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) as it is spreading its wings for the first time after emerging from its chrysalis, Ticino 06-2022 The swallowtail (Papilio machaon) belongs to the family Papilionidae; with a wingspan of up to 8 cm, it is one of the largest and most beautiful butterfly species in Central Europe. Its Caterpillars are mainly found on umbellifers (Apiaceae) such as fennel and carrot, but sometimes also on plants which contain similar chemicals, such as rue grave (Ruta graveolens). The swallowtail in the photo above has just emerged from its chrysalis and is still spreading its wings. I photographed it in my garden, but there is a long story behind the photo that I would like to tell briefly. The wild garden around my vacation home in the Ticino, where I shot all the photos you can see on my website (well, some have been taken a couple of meters outside my garden, but that still counts in my book 😉), had been a cause of contention between me and my mom for some time. At the root of the conflict was the upper part of the garden, which originally had been conceived by my dear mother as a vegetable patch, but, left to its own devices by me after I "inherited" it, had developed into a marvelous oasis of pure botanic chaos teeming with insect life. My garden in Ticino a few years ago, before my mom "took action" Mom was not amused. Although she - like all in our family - is very much in favor of letting nature roam freely around the house, and she loves all creatures big and small, she (unlike me) does draw a line somewhere. That line was the vegetable patch. And she let her disapproval be known, and very clearly; she kept pestering me about my unwillingness to pluck the weeds (my response: "What weeds - there are no weeds: I'm creating a functioning ecosystem here, mom!") for several years, until my stubborn refusal made her reach her breaking point. She'd finally had enough. My mom is a cunning old lady of nearly 80 years (79 to be precise), the matriarch and evil genius of our family (make no mistake: that house and garden are still HERS - and forever will be, regardless what it says on some sheet of paper), and so like a James Bond villain plotting revenge, she hatched a diabolic plan. One day, when I was gone for a couple of weeks, she let me know via e-mail she had decided to turn this ugly weed jungle of mine into a flowery meadow. There was nothing I could do as she had already ordered a local gardening company to level that part of the garden, and once that was accomplished, as she described with obvious relish, the gardener would plant the most beautiful wild flowers and turn this ugly mess of mine into a colorful paradise. I was not amused by this at all, as you might imagine, but there was nothing I could do to save my gorgeous oasis of chaos, so I grumpily accepted "my" garden's fate. After that, my mom avoided me whenever she could, and when she couldn't, she wouldn't mention the garden at all. This didn't strike me as odd, since I assumed she might feel at least a little bit guilty about her sneaky move (at this point, I hadn't seen the "improved" version of the garden yet). Cut to a few weeks later, when I finally went back to the Ticino and finally DID see the "flowery meadow" and "colorful paradise" my dear mother had ordered. My jaw dropped. But in shock - not in awe of flowery beauty of any kind: as there were NO flowers of any kind. What there was, was sod. Plain, ugly sod, completely devoid of any insect (or other animal) life, already turning into a brownish yellow due to a lack of rain in the past weeks. Mom's "flowery meadow" aka sod desert as I first encountered it You see, my mom's Italian is not very good (in fact, it's so far from good that it could be argued she doesn't speak it at all) and as it turned out, there had been a "slight" misunderstanding. Instead of planting gorgeous wild flowers, the local gardener (whose Italian is impeccable by the way), put turf rolls down after he'd leveled my oasis; turf rolls of the kind that is usually used for sterile football fields. OK (you, dear reader, might say at this point); sad story, bro - but what does it have to do with the swallowtail in the photo? The answer is: everything. The past autumn and all through spring this year I've been planting wild flowers in that garden like a mad botanist; I've planted field scabiouses and red clover, ox-eye daisies, echium, salvia and thyme and lavender as well as plants for the caterpillars of the in Switzerland rare swallowtail butterfly such as fennel and wild carrots. Mom's - former - sod desert from the same angle as in the photo above, after I took action This was my desperate attempt to undo the damage and terrible devastation my mother's wrath had brought upon the earth (well, my garden's earth anyway) and turn this sod-desert into an oasis of insect life and colorful paradise once more. And it worked! Ever since those plants started flowering my garden has been an attraction for all kinds of butterflies and generally insects, even rare ones - and, obviously, my dearest guest and visitor that you can see in the photo above: the swallowtail. These gorgeous butterflies are now steady guests, and they even laid their eggs on the fennel (which is now a nursery for cute swallowtail caterpillars). So in the end, my mom's will prevailed (as is always the case with the wills of all moms all over the world - don't kid yourselves, kids 😉). My weeds are gone, there now is indeed a flowery meadow - and there's even vegetables (although the fennel is strictly for the swallowtails 😊). I have a creeping suspicion maybe my mom's Italian is better than she lets on... Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) on red clover, Ticino, Switzerland In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) in the Maggia Valley in Ticino, Switzerland (09-2023) The Maggia Valley in the canton of Ticino is well-known for its biodiversity among Swiss nature enthusiasts, and reptiles that are otherwise rare in Switzerland - such as my favorite, the western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) - feel particularly at home there. In September 2023, I had the opportunity to go on a short hike in this natural paradise, and despite less than ideal weather conditions (the sky was mostly cloudy), I was able to observe and photograph the beautiful western green lizards of the "Vallemaggia" at close range. I had come here at the invitation of a friend, and the trail she chose for our little expedition led us through old settlements of mostly abandoned "rustici" - as the locals call the ancient stone houses that are typical of Ticino - and it's particularly these crumbling buildings that provide such ideal conditions for lizards. Ideal conditions for western green lizards: the ruins of "rustici" in the Maggia valley - the "Vallemaggia" These ruins offer the animals countless hiding places and spots to bask in the sun, and because many plants and lichens also grow on and between these stones, the western green lizards remain excellently camouflaged here despite their intense green color. The perfect place to look for reptiles: caved-in walls and piles of stones in the Maggia valley - the "Vallemaggia" It wasn't long before I spotted the first Lacerta bilineata on a caved-in wall - a subadult female - but I have to admit that my friend was so familiar with the terrain that she was able to predict exactly on which pile of stones we would find a western green lizard (she actually knew most of the - very territorial - individuals through her many previous walks in the area and had even begun to give some of them names :-) Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata), subadult female, Maggia valley, Ticino (Switzerland), September 2023 Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata), subadult female enjoying the warmth of the stones, Maggia valley, Ticino (Switzerland) Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata), subadult female, Maggia valley, Ticino (Switzerland), September 2023 Rarely have I seen so many western green lizards as I did during this short hike in the Maggia Valley! Despite the overcast sky, we could feel the heat of the sun coming through the clouds; the air was still as warm as it normally would be in summer, and these impressive reptiles - the largest individuals reach lengths of more than 40 cm - were warming themselves on the stones and rocks on both sides of the path. Although western green lizards are not quite as noticeable in autumn as they are during mating season in spring (from around April to June, the face and throat of most males appear in a magnificent, striking blue ), I was impressed by the gorgeous colors of this local population. The lizards weren't just resting on the warm stones of the walls and the rustici along the path, but also on logs and on the dry moss, where they were particularly well camouflaged. I was especially taken with an adult female Lacerta bilineata that was searching for food in the flowers of a beautiful trumpet vine that was growing over the roof of a rustico. In the first image below you can see me (captured by my companion with her smartphone) trying to get a good shot of this "flower lizard". After this special photo session, we continued to be greeted by many more representatives of this extraordinary lizard species, and from time to time also by some of the much smaller common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis). As a nature aficionado and lizard fan, this hike in the Maggia Valley was a magical experience for me. The high density of the Lacerta bilineata population here was very unusual, as was the fact that the animals often didn't flee when we approached them. Both of these observations I'd explain through the remoteness of the habitat: there are no cats (by far the biggest threat to lizards in Switzerland - apart from intensive farming and habitat loss), cars or mowing machines near that hiking trail. In this remote, very intact seeming ecosystem, the reptiles have less reason to be constantly vigilant and "jumpy", as they face fewer dangers here, both in general as well as from humans in particular. It also struck me that we saw only one single lizard with a missing tail; this is in stark contrast to the lizard population around my village - inhabited by many cat owners - in Malcantone, where most of the adult lizards have a missing or partly re-grown tail. It seems obvious that natural predators such as snakes, birds of prey, martens, weasels and foxes, which are certainly abundant in the Maggia Valley, are not a threat to the stability of the Lacerta bilineata population there, and the lizards have clearly become accustomed to the many hikers. I even think it possible that the heavily frequented hiking trails are partly the reason why the western green lizards of the Maggia Valley do so well there, because the constant presence of humans probably keeps most of the predators that prey on lizards during the day at a distance. Be that as it may, the Maggia Valley has turned out to be a virtual lizard paradise, and I can hardly wait to return in spring for another "expedition" :-) Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) adult male, Maggia valley, Ticino (Switzerland), September 2023 In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) eating a cherry (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024) Young western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) eating a beetle (Ticino, Switzerland 05-2022) Lizards are not particularly picky animals and will eat pretty much any creature that can fit into their mouths: beetles, flies, caterpillars, worms and the like are all on their menu. That goes for most lizards in continental Europe - not just the two species referred to in the title. Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) eating the caterpillar of a red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Ticino, Switzerland, 10-2022 They also love to eat slugs, so it's not just "herp lovers" who should be happy to have these fascinating and very useful reptiles living in their garden. What's also true for most of our native lizard species is that they aren't exclusively carnivores, and their diet also consists of small fruit from time to time, so if they happen upon a juicy berry (or a cherry), they'll gladly accept it. Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) biting into a cherry (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024) The lizards native to Central Europe (common wall lizard, sand lizard, viviparous lizard and green lizard) generally forage the ground for something to eat, constantly flickering their tongues which they use to smell. Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) foraging for food on the ground while flickering its tongue to smell potential prey When necessary, lizards are agile hunters, as they are quick runners and excellent climbers - and they can jump quite well too: I've even seen a young western green lizard catch a flying insect at least 20 centimeters from the ground by jumping in the air. A young western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) has caught a wasp (Ticino, Switzerland, 05-2022) Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) eating a beetle (Ticino, Switzerland, 05-2023) However, active hunting, which uses a lot of energy, is rarely necessary, because most of the lizards' prey - which consists mostly of invertebrates - do not move particularly quickly. Lizards also like to drink, and especially when it is hot, you can help them out by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden (if possible in the shade and hidden under plants so that they are not discovered by cats while drinking). Otherwise, lizards absorb fluids through their food (like when they eat a juicy cherry, for example ;-). Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) flickering its tongue at a juicy cherry (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024) Oh, and they also have very small teeth, which don't really hurt when they bite a human (which they only ever do when you catch one by hand and it resorts to desperate means in order to get away), but can do quite a bit of damage to a snail or beetle (or another lizard), because they can bite down pretty hard. Male western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) defends its territory (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024) Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), licking its mouth after devouring prey, tiny teeth are visible (Ticino, Switzerland, 05-2022) Ultimately, feeding behavior also depends on the size of the lizard: the larger the lizard, the larger the potential prey. And yes, they are cannibals who also eat their own - albeit rarely. Cannibalism: a Podarcis muralis male devours a female of the same species In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here