The slow worm is much smaller than a snake and has smooth, golden-grey skin. Males are paler in colour and sometimes sport blue spots, while females are larger, with dark sides and a dark stripe down the back.
Are slow worms rare?
With long, smooth, shiny, grey or brown bodies, slow worms look very similar to tiny snakes. In fact they are legless lizards and are quite harmless. Although found throughout mainland Britain, they are most common in Wales and south-west England.
Can a slow worm survive being cut in half?
If an earthworm is split in two, it will not become two new worms. The head of the worm may survive and regenerate its tail if the animal is cut behind the clitellum. But the original tail of the worm will not be able to grow a new head (or the rest of its vital organs), and will instead die.
What to do if you find a slow worm in your garden?
They do not bite people and are completely harmless. Slow worms, are protected by law and it is a criminal offence to deliberately kill them. Should you happen upon a slow worm, the best thing to do is to leave it alone or cover it back over carefully.
Do slow worms have vestigial legs?
Slow worms – They don’t have a leg to stand on
Some families contain a few species with tiny vestigial limbs, while the rest are limbless. Some families are mostly “normal” four-limbed species, with limblessness, near limblessness, or two-leggedness having evolved in certain lineages independently.
How do slow worms give birth?
Slow worms are ovoviviparous, which means that they lay eggs internally. The eggs hatch inside the female slow worm’s body, and the young stay there for a while, living off the yolk of the egg. The female will then go on to give birth to live young.
Can slow worms lose their tails?
Although the slow-worm has survived the attack, losing its tail can be costly, as it now needs to use up resources to grow another tail. This can result in an individual, especially a youngster, not having enough sustenance to last it through the long winter hibernation period.
Are slow worms cannibals?
In most species of reptiles cannibalism appears to occur opportunistically as a byproduct of normal predatory behavior (Polis & Myer 1985). The Slow worm, Anguis fragilis L. … The species inhabits forests, meadows, gardens and compost heaps (Başoğlu & Baran 1977, The HCT 2010).
What eats a slow worm?
Unfortunately Slow-worms are on the menu for many species. They are eaten by Adders, many species of birds including Pheasants, Hedgehogs, Badgers and domestic cats. Like all lizards, Slow-worms have ways to avoid being eaten. … Slow-worms are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Do slow worms live in groups?
Slow worms are reptiles. These gentle animals live in grassy or wooded areas. … Sometimes they hibernate in groups of 30 or more slow worms.
Can slow worms move fast?
The Slow worm reaches a length about 45cm (18 inches) from nose to tail, with a slim build. Although they are normally sluggish creatures, they can be fast moving when startled.
Can you build on land where slow worms live?
Many different habitats provide suitable features for slow-worms such as woodland rides, tussocky grassland and meadows, hedgerows, heathland, gardens as well as other urban and sub-urban areas. However, slow-worms do not like too much shade as this does not create areas in which to bask.
How did a slow worm get in my house?
They certainly will climb that high in sufficiently dense vegetation. The most likely, however, is if you have a cat (or a neighbour has a cat that comes into your house!) that the cat is catching them and bringing them in.
Why are slow worms protected?
Slow worms are protected by law in Great Britain, meaning that they cannot be deliberately killed, injured or traded in any way. Its numbers are thought to be in decline in the UK and it is a ‘Priority Species’ in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
How do you attract slow worms?
Slow worms are also attracted to compost heaps because of their warmth but another way to create warm spots for reptiles to bask on (or under) is to put out corrugated roofing sheets or slates.
How long does it take for a slow worm to grow?
It takes up to eight years for slow worms to reach their full-grown size. They have to shed their skins at regular intervals throughout their lives.
Do slow worms eat woodlice?
This means that most reptiles hibernate between October and March. … Adders eat mostly reptiles and small mammals, common lizard feeds on invertebrates such as insects, spiders and woodlice, and slow-worms tend to eat more soft-bodies species such as slugs.
What size are baby slow worms?
Juvenile slow-worms are very thin and are initially around 4cm long. Juveniles have black bellies and gold or silver dorsal sides, sometimes with a stripe running along the length of the body.
Do slow worms stick out their tongues?
Perhaps the most obvious is the fact that unlike a snake the lizard has eyelids and blinks. … Snakes stick their forked tongues out of closed mouths. The slow-worm, however, has to open its mouth to stick out its black flat notched tongue.
Does a slow worm have teeth?
Slowworms have grooved teeth which allow them to grab and swallow whole their soft invertebrate prey, such as slugs, hairless caterpillars, other insects, spiders, and earthworms. Snails are usually avoided, except when they are still very young and the shell can be broken easily.
Can slow worms swim?
When I got home I googled swimming slow worms and quite few sites had people saying yes they can swim though don’t do it by choice but this one most certainly was.
Are slow worms good compost?
I often find slow worms in the compost bins, to which they are drawn by the heat and plentiful food. They eat worms and the small slugs that are so damaging to young vegetable plants. Hedgehogs also eat these little pale slugs, doubly protecting our seedlings and hostas, but they also prey on slow worms.
Do slow worms bite cats?
To get away from the predators that come after them, they make their movement smoother by dropping their tails low as they move away. While female slow worms are brown with dark sides, the males are greyish brown. They are no threat to humans, as they do not bite and only measure about 50 cm long.