Reptiles, as ectothermic animals (lacking internal mechanisms to regulate body temperature, unlike mammals), prefer well-sunlit and dry places. These requirements are often met by our surroundings, especially old rural buildings, walls, old cellars, or stone piles.
Exposed, flat surfaces heat up easily during the day, and any damage to walls and walls, as well as spaces between stacked stones, provide good hiding spots for predators and places for hibernation. Below are several species of reptiles that inhabit rural areas.
Sand lizard
It is found in various open and semi-open environments – between forests and groves, on the sides of country roads, embankments, and stony areas. It occurs in rural areas where it has access to old walls and buildings with little shading.
Viviparous lizard
A species primarily associated with forested areas as well as damp meadows and peat bogs. However, it is encountered in a wide range of other habitats, including rural farm areas. It inhabits these areas by occupying old walls and buildings on the sunny side, adjacent to orchards, gardens, and hedges.
Slow worm
A widespread species of legless lizard that inhabits various environments. We encounter it in forests, meadows, peat bogs, and field meadows, etc. In rural environments, it occurs in farms where it has access to old walls and buildings, as well as gardens and orchards. An important factor influencing its occurrence is the presence of suitable niches that provide good conditions for hibernation. These can be stone piles, compost heaps, stacks of boards, etc.
Smooth snake
This relatively rare species of snake is mainly associated with dry and sunny open areas as well as forest edges. It inhabits dry meadows, grasslands, and heathlands. It is sometimes found in old quarries, spoil heaps, slopes, and stream valleys. Sometimes, it also colonizes rural areas with old buildings, walls, and cellars that adjoin warm, sunny meadows and pastures.
