How to make a reptile rockery

A simple project to provide a hiding place and basking spot for lizards.

Magazine gift subscriptions - from just £14.99 every 6 issues. Christmas cheer delivered all year!

Sarah McPherson

Published: July 1, 2015 at 3:54 pm

All illustrations by Alan Batley

Gather a collection of rocks and stones, and pile them up in a sunny, south-facing spot.

Make sure there are plenty of nooks and crannies to allow the animals in and out.

Let the grass around the rocks grow long to provide cover for reptiles and their prey.

Look out for visitors such as common lizards, who will use the warm stones for basking.

Sarah McPherson

Features editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Sarah is features editor for BBC Wildlife Magazine. She has been on the title for more than a decade, and in previous lives has also been the magazine’s section editor, acting deputy editor and production editor. Sarah commissions scientists, writers and photographers from across the globe, and has worked with some of the world’s most renowned wildlife experts. She also regularly writes features - on topics ranging from birding in Colombia to the plight of wildlife rangers - and other content for both the magazine and the website.

Illustrations by Alan Batley

How to make a reptile rockery

Gather a collection of rocks and stones, and pile them up in a sunny, south-facing spot.

Make sure there are plenty of nooks and crannies to allow the animals in and out.

Let the grass around the rocks grow long to provide cover for reptiles and their prey.

Look out for visitors such as common lizards, who will use the warm stones for basking.

Share this article