Download SLOW-WORM

Species Fact
Sheet No.
SLOW-WORM
5
What do they look like?
Slow-worms are actually legless lizards.
They look a little like a snake but unlike
snakes they have eyelids, a flat forked
tongue and can drop their tails to
escape from predators. Adults are up
to 50cm in length, whilst newly hatched
young are around 5cm long. They have
a shiny appearance - males are often
grey and females brown with a black
stripe down the side.
How else might I recognise
one?
They shed their skins, which are left
in fragments and can occasionally be
found.
What do they eat?
A favourite prey is slugs, which they
grab by the middle then swallow whole.
They also eat insects, spiders and
other small creatures. They are very
good to have in the garden as they
prey on slugs and insects which eat
garden plants.
Where do they live?
Slow-worms are found across
Worcestershire and are common in
urban areas such as allotments and
railways sidings. They love compost
heaps where they find warmth and plenty
of food. The slow-worm can also be
found in grasslands, heathlands, sunny
banks and hillsides.
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Anguidae
Genus: Anguis
Species: A. fragilis
They are cold blooded animals so
need to gain warmth from the sun,
but rather than basking in the sun
they prefer to hide under stones,
old wood or sheets of corrugated
iron that are exposed to the sun.
They move slowly unless they are
disturbed or threatened when they
can disappear suddenly into the
undergrowth.
Much of the slow-worm’s time is
spent underground, burrowing in
soft soil.
Why are they special to
Worcestershire?
Although rare elsewhere, slowworms are relatively common in
certain areas of Worcestershire,
and the County’s populations
are nationally significant.
Problems and
solutions?
Changes in farming practices
have meant that slow-worms
have struggled to find places
in which to live, and find food
to eat. In urban areas the
increasing need to build on
open spaces has also been a
problem, especially as the areas where slow-worms can be found are often seen as
‘wasteland’. Allotments and gardens can be havens for these animals.
Did you know?
Slow-worms give birth to live young around September. They take three years to grow
and mature into adults and they can live longer than any other lizard - up to 30 years.
The slow-worm is a member of the reptile family and one of the most commonly seen
of all British reptiles
What can I do to help?
avoid being too tidy in your garden or school wildlife area– leave piles of wood and
leaves for slow-worms to hibernate in
you can even create your own slow-worm sanctuary in your wildlife area using bits
of old carpet and metal sheeting
if you see a slow-worm do not disturb it
when mowing grass allow some areas to stay long for slow-worms to hide in.
Be careful when mowing or strimming in case you injure or kill slow-worms
An example of a Food Chain
plant
slug
slow-worm
adder
Find out more?
‘Snakes and Lizards’ by Tom Langton. Whittet books. 1989
Canterbury Nature Grid have information about slow-worms on their web site
http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/biodiversity/repindex.html
Frog-life produce a useful information sheet on snakes and slow-worms in the garden.
http://www.froglife.org
Further copies of this factsheet can be downloaded from www.worcestershire.gov.uk/biodiversity