British reptiles.

Part five the slow worm.

Despite looking like a snake, The slow worm is actually a limbless lizard. Gardens, farms, parks, scrub land and woods are their favoured habitat. They hibernate from October to march, They usually hibernate underground. When they emerge from hibernation they may be seen basking in the spring sunshine. They then mate during April and may, Male slow worms will fight each other at this time, They seize each other at the head and sometimes may cause serious injury from their bites. The young are then born between August and September. The female slow worm will lay her eggs in a place that generates heat, A compost heap is their favoured spot. Each young slow worm is born in a membranous egg which breaks open within seconds of being born. The young are preyed on by frogs and toads. Slow worms take up to three years to reach maturity. Unlike snakes the slow worm has eyelids and a broad flat tongue and rows of scales Whereas a snake has a membrane that covers their eye and a forked tongue and single scales. Adult slow worms vary in colour from greyish to light and dork or coppery brown. Females have dark brown flanks and a darker belly with a paler back than the males, The male slow worm is a more uniform colour. They grow up to about forty five centimeters in size and just over half is their tail. If threatened or seized by prey, The slow worm can shed its tail to enable it to escape. The tail will regrow but never to its original length. Slugs and spiders are their main food source, But they may also eat small creatures, But they will only eat live prey and will not eat carrion. The slow worm has no visible ear holes unlike most lizards. Slow worms can live longer than any other lizards and may live up to ten years in the wild.