# they're not slow...



## laurencea (Aug 28, 2009)

and they're not worms.

they are, however, very beautiful reptiles.

here's a selection of slow worms that 've seen on recent reptile surveys...

a stunning mature male showing his blue spots


IMGP3574 by laurencea, on Flickr


IMGP3576 by laurencea, on Flickr

this adult male has a full tail, quite unusual considering the amount of predators. 


IMGP3558 by laurencea, on Flickr

a lovely dark juvenile


IMGP3554 by laurencea, on Flickr

and this is Mel, a juvenile melanistic. we had 4 melanistics found last year at the london wetland centre. this is the only one seen so far this year


IMGP3551 by laurencea, on Flickr

this male is a stunner...


IMGP3549 by laurencea, on Flickr


IMGP3545 by laurencea, on Flickr

he has amazing markings


IMGP3542 by laurencea, on Flickr


IMGP3544 by laurencea, on Flickr

snug as slow worms in grass...


IMGP3538 by laurencea, on Flickr

another big old bruiser male...


IMGP3523 by laurencea, on Flickr

here he is with a female


IMGP3521 by laurencea, on Flickr

this male was nowhere near as chunky as some of the others... he was the only one to poo on me though... hence the marks on my fingers!


IMGP3512 by laurencea, on Flickr

now, the point of doing the survey is to count them... how many juveniles, males and females under each refugia....


IMGP3581 by laurencea, on Flickr


IMGP3572 by laurencea, on Flickr

you also find other gems... such as this 'emerald', a rose chafer beetle


IMGP3537 by laurencea, on Flickr

and if you're lucky...


IMGP3559 by laurencea, on Flickr

hope you like them!


----------



## connor 1213 (Apr 6, 2009)

lovely photo's...always quite fancied a slow worm....no chance of me tanking them out the wild tho as there are alternative's...lovely tho


----------



## giant snail (Oct 25, 2009)

awsum never seen a slow worm in the flesh sadly


----------



## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I think the name is a corruption of an older one that didn't originally mean slow. And the name Slow Worm may be relatively recent, my grandfather was from Devon and called them Blind Worms and believed they could sting, there are other names for them in different parts of the country.

Nice photos of some very nice animals though, whatever you call them!


----------



## laurencea (Aug 28, 2009)

Graham said:


> I think the name is a corruption of an older one that didn't originally mean slow. And the name Slow Worm may be relatively recent, my grandfather was from Devon and called them Blind Worms and believed they could sting, there are other names for them in different parts of the country.
> 
> Nice photos of some very nice animals though, whatever you call them!


cheers all

the name is believed to come from 'slayer worm' or 'slayer of worms'. the former name is due to the lizard's tendency to poke its tail into you when you pick them up and it was believed they had a venomous tip... the latter due to the fact that they will eat worms.

it's good for teaching people about them as you can say there are two easy to remember facts about slow worms.... they're not slow and they're not worms.


----------



## henry415 (Apr 1, 2012)

Top, top class! I had a 'pet' slow worm when i was younger, lovely he was! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## mcfc1612 (Apr 11, 2010)

fantastic pics never seen one myself but would love to


----------



## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

hmm, I have seen a small number of slow worms but don't remember them being as light brown as these, does that mean I've only ever seen melanistic ones? :hmm: I remember them as being a dark silver, very shiny... pretty things

Lovely shots


----------



## laurencea (Aug 28, 2009)

em_40 said:


> hmm, I have seen a small number of slow worms but don't remember them being as light brown as these, does that mean I've only ever seen melanistic ones? :hmm: I remember them as being a dark silver, very shiny... pretty things
> 
> Lovely shots


the young are silver/gold/bronze. adults come in a variety of colours as you can see. i found a lovely chocolate brown one a couple of weeks ago.


----------

