Anguis

Anguis, or the slow worm, is a small genus of lizards in the family Anguidae. It has two described species.

Description

Slow worms are typically grey-brown, with the females having a coppery sheen and two lateral black stripes, and the males displaying electric blue spots, particularly in the breeding season. They give birth to live young; the young are about 4 cm (1.6 in) long at birth and generally have golden stripes.

As their name indicates, slow worms are slow-moving and can be easily caught. Like many lizards, slow worms can shed their tails to distract predators. The tail regrows, but never fully. Principal predators are birds, badgers, hedgehogs, foxes and domestic cats.

The average British slow worm will grow to 45 cm when fully mature and weigh approximately 100 g, females being slightly larger than the males. The tail makes up around half of its length, but is indistinguishable from the body. They have been recorded to live for up to 30 years in wild, and the record age for a Slow worm in captivity is 54 years (Copenhagen Zoo).

Anguis fragilis

The Anguis fragilis, or slow worm, is a limbless lizard native to Eurasia. It is sometimes called a blindworm. Its German name, "Blindschleiche," is derived from its lustrous scales and means "blinding creeper."

Slow worms are semifossorial (burrowing) lizards, spending much of the time hiding underneath objects. The skin of slow worms is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many other lizards, slow worms autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails to escape predators. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length. They are common in gardens and can be encouraged to enter and help remove pest insects by placing black plastic or a piece of tin on the ground. On warm days, one or more slow worms will often be found underneath these heat collectors. One of the biggest causes of mortality in slow worms in suburban areas is the domestic cat, against which it has no defence.

Physical traits

These reptiles are mostly active during the twilight and occasionally bask in the sun, but are more often found hiding beneath rocks and logs. They are carnivorous and, because they feed on slugs and worms, they can often be found in long grass and other damp environments.