Slow Worm - Anguis fragilis

Fig 1: Slow Worm - Anguis fragilis

At the beginning of this month (June) I was moving some old carpet to line a new compost bin at the bottom of the garden. Suddenly, out wriggled a silvery juvenile slow worm; which was about ten centimetres long and about as thick as a pencil.

I couldn't photograph it at the time, but it reminded me that I had some adult slow worm images on file, so here they are.

Slow worms are legless lizards which prey on slugs, snails, insects and earthworms. Adults grow to between 40 and 50cm in length and figure 3 gives an idea of scale relative to a human hand.

Fig 2: Slow Worm on the move after being disturbed from its hiding place in buried rotten wood.
They are normally active at night and after damp weather when they emerge to feed.

Fig 3: Slow Worm. Size of adult relative to human hand.

Fig 4: Slow Worm showing head markings.

Fig 5: Slow Worm - Anguis fragilis

Here are some links with more information and pictures of slow worms:
http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/slow_worm.htm
http://www.arkive.org/slow-worm/anguis-fragilis/image-A6797.html