Slow worm............................ (Anguis fragilis)
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Disturbed this beauty when I was cutting back an herbaceous geranium it was approx 9" long,I think it is a juvenile because of the size and colour.I have seen a number of them in the garden but never had my camera with me before.I placed it carefully in an upturned plastic seed cover to photograph and carefully released it back exactly where I found it. |
| Often mistaken for snakes, the Slow-worm is a legless lizard and has eyelids which can close and a notched, as opposed to a forked tongue. Like all lizards, Slow-worms can shed their tails to escape predators and individuals will often show stumpy tails as they do not regenerate very well. They can grow up to 50cm (21 inches), half of which is the tail if intact. Their bodies are shiny and 'worm' like. Males are usually a uniform grey colour sometimes with spotted flanks and have larger and broader heads than females, which tend to be gold brown with dark flanks and a dark stripe running down the back. Young Slow-worms are bright gold, copper or silvery yellow with a stripe down the back. Their flanks and underside are dark. Adult colouration develops in 2-3 years. |  |
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I have a feeling this one has had a close encounter because it looks like it's tail has a stump. |
| Slow worms are thought to be the most common of all European
reptiles, although they are absent from the far north, Ireland and southern
Spain. They are also found in north-west Asia. In Britain, they are commonest
in Wales and the south-west of England.They can sometimes be seen basking
in the sun, but prefer to hide during the day under stones and logs. They
emerge from their hiding places to hunt at dusk. Slow worms are not particularly
speedy reptiles, and prefer to feed on slow-moving prey such as slugs
and earthworms, but they will also eat spiders and insects. If they are
caught by a predator, slow worms have the ability to shed their tails
and escape. When this happens, the tail never fully grows back.
Slow worms hibernate from October to February/March under piles of
leaves, within tree roots and in crevices of banks. They hibernate in
groups or own their own, and may share hibernation sites with other
reptiles. They sometimes burrow into soft earth so that just their heads
are visible. |
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Protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Schedule 5. from trade, injury and killing.