How to Build a Sand Lizard Sanctuary in a Sunny Garden

A Heathland Specialist in Need of Help

Sand lizards are among the UK’s rarest reptiles, clinging on in fragmented heathland, dunes and a few other sandy strongholds. They need three things above all: loose sand for egg-laying, bare sunny patches for basking, and tangled vegetation for shelter. A garden in the right area can act as a stepping stone between heathland fragments, offering exactly those ingredients on a small scale. Even if you never see a sand lizard, the habitat you create will support common lizards, slow-worms, solitary bees, digger wasps and basking butterflies. One important note: sand lizards are protected by law. Never take one from the wild, and never release captive or non-native reptiles. Building the habitat is legal, helpful and genuinely fascinating.

Choose a South-Facing Spot with Room to Bask

Start by finding the sunniest, most sheltered corner of your garden. A south or south-west facing spot that receives at least six hours of direct sun in summer is ideal. A gentle slope or a raised bank is better than flat ground because it catches the sun at an angle and drains freely. If your garden is level, you can create a mound. Aim for a bank at least 2 metres wide and 1 metre deep, though bigger is always better. Keep it away from heavy foot traffic, and avoid positions shaded by fences, buildings or mature trees. Sand lizards need warmth to digest food, court and incubate their eggs, so every extra hour of sunshine matters.

Build a Warm Sand Bank for Egg-Laying

The heart of the sanctuary is a sand bank. Use sharp sand mixed with sandy subsoil, aiming for roughly 70 per cent sand and 30 per cent low-nutrient topsoil. Avoid builder’s sand that contains cement, and avoid any sand that has been treated with weedkiller. Build the bank to about 40–60cm high with a shallow slope of 20–30 degrees facing the sun. The sand needs to be at least 15–20cm deep in the egg-laying areas. Compact it gently, then leave several bare patches open. Flat stones or slates placed on the sunny side will soak up heat and give lizards a quick basking spot. If your soil is heavy clay, create a raised bed with a rubble base for drainage, then add the sand mix on top. Good drainage is essential; sand lizards will not use waterlogged ground.

Add Log Piles and Tangled Cover

Reptiles need somewhere to hide, thermoregulate and hibernate. Create two or three log piles along the sunny edge of the bank, using native hardwood logs of different diameters. Partially bury some logs and leave gaps between them. Rotting wood attracts beetles, grubs and other invertebrates, which in turn feed lizards. Add brash piles made from twiggy cuttings, dead bramble stems and dried grass. These untidy tangles provide shade, cover from predators and safe brumation sites. Tussocky grasses are excellent too, so leave a few clumps undisturbed. Resist the urge to tidy every corner. A messy edge is a wildlife feature, not a flaw.

Plant Native Heather and Other Heathland Favourites

Heather is the signature plant of UK heathland and a superb addition to a sand lizard garden. Native heather, also called ling, and bell heather both offer low, dense cover and nectar for insects. Plant small plugs in autumn or spring on lime-free, sandy soil. Space them 20–30cm apart and water them through their first summer. Add fine grasses such as sheep’s fescue and wavy hair-grass, plus wild thyme and bird’s-foot trefoil for extra insect interest. If your soil is chalky, grow heather in a raised bed filled with ericaceous compost mixed with sand. Never use fertiliser, weedkiller or pesticide on or near the bank. Keep some bare sand visible between the plants; lizards need open ground as much as they need cover.

Keep It Sunny, Safe and Untidy

Once your sanctuary is growing, maintenance should be minimal and seasonal. Cut back woody growth in late winter, but never strim or disturb log piles between October and April, when lizards may be hibernating inside. Leave seed heads standing and allow leaf litter to accumulate. Avoid slug pellets, rat poison and insecticides, as these can poison reptiles indirectly through their prey. Cats are a real risk, so fit a bell or keep them indoors at dawn and dusk. A shallow dish of water at ground level will help insects and birds without drowning small reptiles. If you are lucky enough to spot a sand lizard, watch from a distance and never handle it. Sand lizards are stocky with spotted flanks, while common lizards are smaller and more slender. Be patient: it may take several years for reptiles to find your garden, but the warm bank, log piles and native heather will be working for wildlife from the first season.