Slow Worm

The Slow Worm has smooth, shiny, golden-greyish skin. Males are pale greyish-brown in colour and sometimes have blue spots. Females are larger than males, with dark sides and have a dark stripe down their back. They have backward facing, pointed teeth and have a notched tongue rather than a forked tongue like a snake.

The Slow Worm is not a worm or a snake. It is a legless lizard. Unlike snakes they have eyelids and can blink and they can shed their tail to escape from a predator. The tail can grow back, but it is never as long as it was.

Slow Worms can usually be seen between March and October in heathland, rough grassland and woodland edges. They can often be found in mature gardens and allotments. Unlike other British reptiles, slow worms rarely bask in the open. They prefer to hide under logs or in compost heaps.

They feed on slow moving prey, like slugs, snails, spiders, insects and worms.

The mating season for slow worms starts in May. Courtship can be quite rough, with the male taking hold of the female by biting her head or neck, while they intertwine their bodies. Courtship can last up to 10 hours. In the days leading up to birth, the female can often be seen basking in the sun on a warm road. They incubate their eggs internally, giving birth to an average of eight young.

Juvenile slow worms are initially around 4cm long and very thin. They have black bellies and gold or silver dorsal sides, occasionally with a stripe running along the length of the body.

Like other reptiles, slow worms hibernate. This is usually between October and March.

It is a widespread species, found throughout Britain, except for most Scottish islands.

Slow worms are protected by law in Britain against being deliberately killed, injured or sold/traded in any way.