The Lizard
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- This article is about the peninsula. The Lizard is also the name of a Marvel Comics supervillain: see the Lizard (comics). Also see general information on lizards.
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Lizard_point_cornwall.jpg
Lizard_point_cornwall.jpg
The Lizard is a peninsula of Cornwall, the most southerly point of mainland Great Britain. Historically a particularly hazardous stretch of coastline, it was also known as the "Graveyard of Ships".
It is one of the few places where the rare formicine ant Formica exsecta (the narrow-headed ant), can be found.
The name 'Lizard' is a corruption of the Cornish name 'Lys Airt', meaning 'high court'; it is purely coincidental that much of the peninsula is composed of a rock called serpentine.
It was featured on the TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the South West.
Goonhilly Downs on the Lizard is the location of the British Telecom Goonhilly satellite earth station and the Goonhilly wind farm.