It is native in Andorra, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Isles.

There are also introduced colonies on the south coast of the U.K, notably around Poole Bay in Dorset.

Juveniles are almost brown, with a yellowish belly and two to four pale, longitudinal lines along the flanks.

They attain sexual maturity at around two years, when they are about 8 cm long (excluding tail).

[3][4] Its natural habitats are green humid areas, temperate forest, the edges of woods, shrubland, open grassland, arable land, and pastureland.