wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 12:04:12 +0100, Kay
wrote:

In article , BAC
writes


Slow worms in abundance when I lived in Sevenoaks. Only place I've
seen
lizards is Inner Hebrides. Seen many adders- mainly the tail end
departing as fast as poss - but not yet seen a grass snake.

I must be very fortunate, as I've seen quite a few of the reptilians you
mention, in the wild, in the UK. Lots of lizards on sand dunes on the
Norfolk coast, when I was a child, one or two slow worms, plenty of
adders,
and several grass snakes - including swimming specimens (no, I am not
confusing them with eels). I've yet to see a 'wild' scorpion here in the
flesh, and don't particularly want to, either :-)

I was brought up in the wet west. Not so many basking places for
reptiles.

According to Garden Wildlife (Collins Nature Guides)
Michael Chinery, the common wall lizard does not exist in Great
Britain, but is to be found in the Channel Islands.

This site says otherwise
http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/identification.htm

Cross examination of my wife on the subject of her claim to have seen
a lizard in our Zuid Holland garden revealed that what she saw was
probably a newt.

What makes you suspect she saw a newt rather than a lizard?