Slow worm where to find

I have even found one in my greenhouse, presumably keeping warm in cooler weather. Like all reptiles in Britain, winters can be tough for slow worms. Many will slow down their metabolism and hide away until the weather improves. Hunting for slow worms in winter is therefore not likely to end in success.

Far better is to go searching for slow worms when the weather improves; the hotter it is, the more active local slow worms are likely to be. There are two options here then. Firstly, you could walk through long grass, keeping your eyes peeled. All the same, though, you might miss these tiny and very active little lizards.

An even easier way to find slow worms is to simply look under logs. Just be sure to roll the log away gently, and to replace it afterwards whether a slow worm is present right now or not. Slow worms can be active in most weather conditions — when the temperature is warm enough. Unlike most British snakes and lizards — who only like dry, sunny weather — slow worms may also hunt in wet weather. Slow worms eat a diet made up of invertebrates, including slugs, worms, snails and spiders.

Their backward curving teeth are perfect for securing slippery or wriggly meals. 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.

Mating can then go on for as long as 10 hours. Slow worms are ovoviviparous, which means that they lay eggs internally. The female will then go on to give birth to live young. Slow worms burrow underground or find a crevice in a rotting tree stump to hibernate in over the winter, usually from October to March. Slow worms are widespread throughout Britain, although they are absent from Ireland. They favour humid conditions and shaded areas, such as rough grassland, woodland edges, gardens, meadows and heathland.

Keep an eye out for these legless lizards basking in the sun on warm days, in the woods or even in your own garden. They favour compost heaps, using the warmth to heat up their bodies. Close navigation. Slow worm This legless lizard can grow to the size of a snake but lacks a venomous bite. Change section Menu toggle. Instead, you can look for them under: stones wood compost heaps bits of metal left lying around The slow worm is quite common across Scotland and it is the only reptile known to occur in the Outer Hebrides.

Slow-worm Anguis fragilis Click for a full description. You may also be interested in. Protected species: amphibians and reptiles Great crested newts, natterjack toads and marine turtles are European protected species.

Amphibians and reptiles Scotland's cool climate is a challenge for cold-blooded herptiles. First new site for release of beavers NatureScot has issued a protected species licence today, allowing beavers to be released into a new location in the Forth catchment. Perfect Partners Partnership working on the actions being taken across South Lanarkshire to help pollinators. West winds and Scandi chic Forvie NNR - its very landscape created by the wind, the defining character of the Reserve itself.