Slow worms will burrow and hibernate underground from October to March. Being most active at dusk, slow worms eat mainly slow moving prey such as slugs, worms, snails as well as the odd insect and spider. They do not bite people and are completely harmless.

Where do slow worms go in winter?

Slow worms like humid conditions and emerge from their hiding places at dusk or after rain to hunt for food. They spend the winter hibernating under piles of leaves or within tree roots. If attacked by a predator, a slow worm can shed its tail to escape, although it never grows back fully.

How do I get rid of slow worms in my garden?

Leave piles of sticks, prunings and logs undisturbed in a quiet corner of the garden. These will gradually rot down and be a hot bed of garden bugs and beasties for the slow worms to feed upon. Allow an area of your garden to grow wild to attract a wide range of beneficial insects to restore the natural balance.

What time of year do slow worms breed?

How do slow worms breed? The breeding season, which can be quite a hostile time for slow worms, takes place from May to June. Males become aggressive during this time, competing with each other for a mate. As part of the mating process, the male slow worm takes hold of the female by biting her neck or head.

Can a slow worm survive being cut in half?

If an earthworm is split in two, it will not become two new worms. The head of the worm may survive and regenerate its tail if the animal is cut behind the clitellum. But the original tail of the worm will not be able to grow a new head (or the rest of its vital organs), and will instead die.

Slow Worms | The Complete Guide

17 related questions found

Can you pick up a slow worm?

It's fine to lift up objects to look for slow worms, but Mark cautions, 'If you do spot a slow worm hiding under a metal sheet, rock, tile or log, be sure to replace it carefully or you could easily squash them.

Is it illegal to handle slow-worms?

Slow-worms are not at all suitable to keep as pets - as specialised reptiles they don't take to captivity very well and are far better off in the wild, where they belong. ... This makes it illegal to kill, injure, sell or trade wild slow-worms.

How do you keep a slow worm?

Slow worms will really appreciate a vivarium with plenty of space to explore, dig and bask. Therefore, we recommend a vivarium of size 1.5m x 0.5m for a pair or small group. The enclosure should also have 50-60cm of soil for the lizard to burrow down and brumate.

How did a slow worm get in my house?

They certainly will climb that high in sufficiently dense vegetation. The most likely, however, is if you have a cat (or a neighbour has a cat that comes into your house!) that the cat is catching them and bringing them in.

How do you attract slow worms?

Slow worms are also attracted to compost heaps because of their warmth but another way to create warm spots for reptiles to bask on (or under) is to put out corrugated roofing sheets or slates.

Do slow worms live in groups?

Slow worms are reptiles. These gentle animals live in grassy or wooded areas. ... Sometimes they hibernate in groups of 30 or more slow worms.

Are slow worms good compost?

I often find slow worms in the compost bins, to which they are drawn by the heat and plentiful food. They eat worms and the small slugs that are so damaging to young vegetable plants. Hedgehogs also eat these little pale slugs, doubly protecting our seedlings and hostas, but they also prey on slow worms.

Why are slow worms protected?

Slow worms are protected by law in Great Britain, meaning that they cannot be deliberately killed, injured or traded in any way. Its numbers are thought to be in decline in the UK and it is a 'Priority Species' in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

What eats a slow worm?

Unfortunately Slow-worms are on the menu for many species. They are eaten by Adders, many species of birds including Pheasants, Hedgehogs, Badgers and domestic cats. Like all lizards, Slow-worms have ways to avoid being eaten. ... Slow-worms are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Do slow worms have legs?

The first thing to say about slow-worms is that they are neither a worm nor a snake, but a lizard without legs. They are also sometimes called “blind-worms” – and they are not blind either! A slow-worm, unlike a snake, has eyelids and can blink. ...

Are Slow worms cannibals?

In most species of reptiles cannibalism appears to occur opportunistically as a byproduct of normal predatory behavior (Polis & Myer 1985). The Slow worm, Anguis fragilis L. ... The species inhabits forests, meadows, gardens and compost heaps (Başoğlu & Baran 1977, The HCT 2010).

How long are slow worms?

Adult slow worms grow to be about 50 cm (20") long, and are known for their exceptionally long lives; the slow worm may be the longest-living lizard, living about 30 years in the wild and up to at least 54 years in captivity (this record is held by a male slow worm that lived at the Copenhagen Zoo from 1892 until 1946, ...

Do slow worms need water?

Water: a small water bowel will suffice as I have found they can't stand being in water.

Do slow worms bite cats?

To get away from the predators that come after them, they make their movement smoother by dropping their tails low as they move away. While female slow worms are brown with dark sides, the males are greyish brown. They are no threat to humans, as they do not bite and only measure about 50 cm long.

How big are baby slow worms?

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

Why do slow-worms lose their tails?

Like many other lizards, slow-worms autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails in order to escape predators. The tail regrows, but remains smaller.

Do slow-worms have vestigial legs?

Slow worms – They don't have a leg to stand on

Some families contain a few species with tiny vestigial limbs, while the rest are limbless. Some families are mostly “normal” four-limbed species, with limblessness, near limblessness, or two-leggedness having evolved in certain lineages independently.

Do slow-worms feel pain?

Bites to humans are rare, and virtually painless. Such bites do not generally break the skin, and the reaction is more usually shock, than pain. If a slow worm is handled too roughly by humans, it will readily lose its tail.

Can slow-worms swim?

When I got home I googled swimming slow worms and quite few sites had people saying yes they can swim though don't do it by choice but this one most certainly was.

Can slow-worms regrow their tails?

The reason they are referred to as fragile in their name is that they have the ability to shed their tails if caught by a predator. ... Whilst the tail does regrow, it is no longer detachable. Slow worms are also distinguishable from snakes because they have eyelids and ear openings.