"I have just returned from my holidays in the Dordogne where Common Wall Lizards were all around the garden. When one decided to come into the house, it precipitated a capture-and-release operation. The capture attempt proved futile until the lizard tried to make a dash across the tiled floor. The surface was too smooth and hard for its claws to grip and, despite a violent eel-like 'swimming action', it could not make much headway."