Slow worms are one of the two species of lizard found in Scotland, but you might not think that looking at them! RSPB Scotland's Molly Martin shares five top facts about these legless wonders.
Five facts about slow worms
1) Slow worms are definitely not worms, and they’re not snakes either. They’re actually legless lizards, and the trick is to look for eyelids.
2) Slow worms love the sun, you’ll often see them basking to regulate their body temperature. This also means they don’t do very well during winter, so like other reptiles, slow worms hibernate, usually from October to March.
3) You can see slow worms in many parts of mainland Scotland, but they are absent from most of our islands.
4) During the mating season, male slow worms can be seen fighting over females. During fights, they can break off the end of their tails to escape, and then regrow it! Check out this amazing video to two males having a fight while a female “referees” from the side-line! Can you spot the one without a tail?
5) The largest individual slow worm found in the UK was on Ailsa Craig and measured 51.8cm!