Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)
Image Copyright Paul Dunn
Image Copyright Paul Dunn
Last Observed: December 2015
Observed By: Paul Dunn
OK get ready. The slow worm isn’t actually a worm. And it isn’t a snake. It is actually a lizard without any legs that isn’t a snake. Yes they exist, this is one. Got it?
The Anguis fragilis, or slow worm, is a limbless lizard native to Eurasia. It is sometimes called a blindworm. Its German name, “Blindschleiche”, is derived from the Old High German plintslîcho meaning “blinding creeper”, perhaps because of its lustrous scales.
Slow worms are semifossorial (burrowing) lizards, spending much of the time hiding underneath objects. The skin of slow worms is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many other lizards, slow worms autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails to escape predators. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length. They are common in gardens and can be encouraged to enter and help remove pest insects by placing black plastic or a piece of tin on the ground. On warm days, one or more slow worms will often be found underneath these heat collectors. One of the biggest causes of mortality in slow worms in suburban areas is the domestic cat, against which it has no defense.
