Corfe Castle
(Dorset)

Closest Town:

CORFE (1.0 km)

Introduction date:

Discovered 2006

Site Name:

Corfe Castle

Source of introduction:

Captive bred stock, deliberately released by a private breeder.

Site Access:

Public

Colony Status:

Extant

Relative population estimate:

120

Extirpation date:

N/a

This colony was first reported in 2006, although it may be older. Although the Southern Dorset coast has numerous colonies of introduced Wall lizards, Corfe Castle is not near enough to these colonies for this site to be a result of natural expansion.

Currently, the lizards are confined to the area to the east of the outer gatehouse, although given the optimum habitat available for this species, expansion across the site is likely.

This deliberate release could have far reaching consequences should the colony expand beyond the castle grounds, and into the village of Corfe Castle itself, which comprises ideal Wall lizard habitat. The old railway line that runs through the village is home to the endangered and native Sand lizard.

Castle walls (Gatehouse)

Habitat at Corfe Castle

Habitat at Corfe Castle

Green-backed form, with probable origins from Italy, although may have been mixed with captive stock.

Morph at Corfe Castle