Slow-worms in the garden

Slow-worms are neither slow nor worms… they’re not even snakes, but actually a legless lizard and whilst gardening this weekend a few made themselves known to me.

I’ve had quite a few in my garden previously so it wasn’t too much of a surprise to find them in the overgrown raised-bed I was digging over which I’m sure has many a treat for them.

Slow Worms in the Garden

They love slugs and worms and I can tell you there are plenty in my garden!

Are they dangerous?

As you can see they’re very gentle and didn’t mind me picking them up so that I could rehome them to a more suitable area of the garden. They may look like snakes but they’re generally harmless.

This adult I found must have been around 30cm in length and will grow to around 50cm in length. It’s the average size of the ones I’ve seen before so I think they must get a lot more stealthy as they mature…. or there’s a lot fewer of them.

Slow-Worm in the Garden

Throughout the afternoon I spotted two adults and this juvenile slow-worm and I like to think they’re enjoying the other undisturbed areas of my garden, munching away at those slugs, and keeping my veg patch a bit safer.

Baby Slow Worms in the Garden
Baby Slow Worms in the Garden

Some interesting slow-worm facts

For one of the more interesting animals to live in our gardens I don’t think people know a huge amount about them so here’s a few facts to “wow” your friends and family with.

  • Average lifespan is up to 30 years
  • The record age was 54 years in captivity
  • Can grow to half a metre in length (50cm)
  • Courtship may last for as long as 10 hours
  • Females incubate the eggs internally, ‘giving birth’ to an average of eight young in summer
  • Unlike snakes they have eyelids, a flat forked tongue and can drop their tail to escape from a predator.

1 thought on “Slow-worms in the garden”

  1. I would love to know how slow worms dig their burrows (?) in our very heavy clay soil, or any soil for that matter! We have lots, all are different colours and the bronze ones are particularly beautiful. We do a lot a stamping around before we mow our lawn and have areas left unkempt for them. Had to laugh when I rescued our neighbour from the enormous snakes she found in her hay shed! I brought them home where they were safer.

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