Rare sand lizards have been released on sand dunes in North Wales in a bid to revive ailing populations.
Seventy juveniles have been released on the Flintshire coast and a total of 400 will be reintroduced through the week to sites in Merseyside, Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset.
The sand lizards were bred at 10 specialist breeding centres, including Chester Zoo, over the summer.
The animals have suffered dramatic declines due to habitat loss.
Native populations now only remain in Merseyside, Surrey, and Dorset but even in these areas populations have dropped by 90% or more.
The reintroductions are co-ordinated by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC Trust) as part of a recovery programme that has been running since 1994.
Sand lizards only live on coastal dunes and heathland habitats, both of which have become increasingly fragmented through agriculture, housing and leisure developments.
The adult lizards can reach 20cm in length, making them the UK's largest lizard species.
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