Slow worm

"Slow-worm", "Slowworm", and "blindworm" redirect here. For the genus, see Anguis.

Slow worm
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Anguidae
Genus: Anguis
Species:
A. fragilis
Binomial name
Anguis fragilis
Range of A. fragilis

The slowworm (Anguis fragilis) is a legless lizard native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, slow worm, blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. The "blind" in blindworm refers to the lizard's small eyes, similar to a blindsnake (although the slowworm's eyes are functional).

Slowworms are semifossorial[2] (burrowing) lizards, spending much of their time hiding underneath objects. The skin of slow worms is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many other lizards, they 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. In the UK, they are common in gardens and allotments, and can be encouraged to enter and help remove pest insects by placing black plastic or providing places to shelter such as piles of logs, corrugated iron sheets or under tiles.[3] On warm days, one or more slow worms can often be found underneath these heat collectors.

Slowworms are a part of a species complex, which consists of 5 distinct but similar species.

The name "slowworm" is only contaminated by the word "slow". In Middle English it was written "slowurm", from Old English "slāwyrm", where slā- means 'earthworm' or 'slowworm' and wyrm means "serpent, reptile".[4][5] It is related to the Norwegian slo or Swedish ormslå, of same meaning.

  1. ^ Agasyan, A.; Avci, A.; Tuniyev, B.; et al. (2021). "Anguis fragilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T47113126A744263. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T47113126A744263.en. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Feeding state and selected body temperatures in the slow worm" (PDF). Herpetological Journal. 18: 59–62. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
  3. ^ Vernon, Jean (24 July 2019). "How can I help garden slow worms?". Richard Jackson Garden. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Slowworm". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2017.)
  5. ^ "Anguis fragilis". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2021-04-07.