Editing Sand lizard (section)

==Reproduction==
Generally, males reach sexual maturity at a smaller size compared with females. Vitellogenesis happens when females are 45 days for the whole population. Both sexes tend to lose body fat during mating period, since their main energy resources come from body fat and from the liver and proximal at the tail.<ref>Strasbourg (26 October 2006). "Action Plan for the Conservation of the Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) in Northwest Europe"</ref> After a few weeks from the hibernation, male adults become extremely aggressive towards each other, trying to mate as many females as they can.<ref>Corbett, K.F. and D.L. Tamarind. 1979. Conservation of the sand lizard, Lacerta agilis, by habitat management. Brit. J. Herp. 5: 799-823.</ref>

The female sand lizard lays [[egg]]s in loose sand in a sunny location, leaving them to be incubated by the warmth of the ground.<ref>Olsson, Mats (1988-01-01). "Ecology of a Swedish population of the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) - a preliminary report". ''Mertensiella''. '''1''': 86–91.</ref>

Female sand lizards usually only lay a single clutch each year and clutch sizes that range between six and 15 eggs in a single one. However, there is a lot of variation in the time of year when females end up laying their eggs. But generally a single female sand lizard has a relatively consistent egg laying timing from year-to-year, with the first ones to do so generally being larger, more physically fit females. These early clutches ended up producing offspring that were larger, more successful, and had higher survival rates. Generally offspring from earlier clutches were higher quality offspring.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Olsson|first1=M.|last2=Shine|first2=R.|date=1997|title=The seasonal timing of oviposition in sand lizards (Lacerta agilis): why early clutches are better|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1420-9101.1997.10030369.x|journal=Journal of Evolutionary Biology|language=en|volume=10|issue=3|pages=369–381|doi=10.1046/j.1420-9101.1997.10030369.x|s2cid=84691498 |issn=1420-9101|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

When female sand lizards produce larger clutch sizes, the size of each individual offspring in it has been observed to decrease. On the opposite side, smaller clutch sizes had fewer, but larger, offspring. When food resources were increased so it was not a limiting factor, clutch size increased significantly, so it is likely that sand lizards produce clutch sizes with different offspring sizes based on resource availability. The other factor that contributes is the physical constraints of the space available to lay their clutches in.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Olsson|first1=M.|last2=Shine|first2=R.|date=January 1997|title=The Limits to Reproductive Output: Offspring Size Versus Number in the Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis)|url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/285985|journal=The American Naturalist|volume=149|issue=1|pages=179–188|doi=10.1086/285985|s2cid=84986874 |issn=0003-0147|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

=== Reproductive success with age ===
Sand lizards have demonstrated that as their age increases, so does their reproductive success. However, a study showed that this relationship is most likely due to the increase in body size as sand lizards mature rather than increased experience they acquire as they live longer. This may be because female sand lizards that are larger are simply able to produce more clutches with the increased space in their bodies.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Olsson|first1=Mats|last2=Shine|first2=Richard|date=1996-01-01|title=Does reproductive success increase with age or with size in species with indeterminate growth? A case study using sand lizards (Lacerta agilis)|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328543|journal=Oecologia|language=en|volume=105|issue=2|pages=175–178|doi=10.1007/BF00328543|pmid=28307079 |bibcode=1996Oecol.105..175O |s2cid=13366940 |issn=1432-1939|url-access=subscription}}</ref>