Common Wall Lizard

As I went down the neighbouring street yesterday I spied something small on the pavement. About the length of a cigarette. It was a lizard with no tail. I bent down to take a close look and it stayed still. It did not seem injured, but was in a ridiculously exposed place, right in the centre of a busy pathway. Maybe just trying to warm up, and it was a very sunny day, getting to the right temperature for it to be active. It was rather greyish brown, with a rufous tinge to its flanks. I think it was a male Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis). But as soon as I got close, it darted off, straight to the adjacent garden wall and into a crevice. All very typical behaviour. This species is often in and around human settlements. The neighbour's cat often sits around waiting for them to move in our yard and then tries to leap on them. But they are fast, and he rarely suceeds in actually catching any.