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Original poster

to think slow worms are lovley

155 replies

suzziearoundtheworld · 30/06/2015 21:14

I have a lot of them in my garden, I've left parts overgrown for them and have made a great deal of effort to stop cats coming in. But no one else seems to like them, almost every friend is shit scared of these lovely things. Its such a shame they are native and at risk

OP posts:
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12
CrabbyTheCrabster · 01/07/2015 12:34

D'oh, link fail above, sorry.

One more link... here's my 'everything you've ever wanted to know about slow worms' post, with lots of info and some nice close up pics.

GerundTheBehemoth · 01/07/2015 12:36

Crabby, your link goes to a post about Odonata (which is amazing btw!) - the slow-worm pics are here.

Magalouf · 01/07/2015 12:36

I've never heard of slow worms! Thanks for enlightening meSmile

lucysnowe · 01/07/2015 12:38

Oh I love slowworms and snakes. I want one as a pet but DH won't let me :)

CrabbyTheCrabster · 01/07/2015 12:38

And I'm going to post my favourite pic of a slow worm, for those who can't be arsed to read the link above... who couldn't love this cutie doing his impression of Barney the Dinosaur - he's even smiling a bit, I think! Grin

to think slow worms are lovley
CrabbyTheCrabster · 01/07/2015 12:42

How bizarre! Thanks Gerund. Smile

MadHattersWineParty · 01/07/2015 13:36

crabby he's so cute!

They actually have teeth, there's some scary pictures if you google!

'My' Sidney was lovely and friendly though, I think it is their nature Smile

JadedAngel · 01/07/2015 13:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WendyTorrance · 01/07/2015 14:42

I first saw one in a pub in Hertfordshire. There was a man sitting beside me holding one, it was his pet. I was fascinated and the man gave me a crash course in slow worms.

We don't have them in Liverpool, unfortunately Envy

whataboutbob · 01/07/2015 14:44

I like them, we had a resident one in the compost heap, unfortunately DH found it with its head missing yesterday:

MoreBeta · 01/07/2015 14:53

Never in my life seen a slow worm or grass snake and only ever seen one adder. Lived in the countryside for 25 years off and on.

Our sheep dog was bitten by an adder as she rounded up escaping sheep on a bracken covered hillside. She had to have her leg amputated due to necrosis. Amazingly poisonous.

Reptiles are the rather unloved end of the animal kingdom so don't get the same degree of protection in the minds of people as mammals, fish and birds.

ChristmasZombie · 01/07/2015 14:55

I don't think I've ever seen one, but now I want some in my garden! My garden is crap, all we have are spiders.

DidoTheDodo · 01/07/2015 15:01

We've got several in our compost heap in Kent. I love them. And our cats don't bother them at all, thank goodness.

They are however, all called "Snakey" even though I know they are not.

Crabby, your photo is great!

Jux · 01/07/2015 16:23

I love slow-worms. They're protected aren't they? We had a nest of them in the wild bit of our garden, but the cat kept bringing them in, so on the end I gave them to our neighbour. Now his slugs get eaten and mine are over-running the place.

Jux · 01/07/2015 16:40

I wasn't entirely convinced that what we had were slow worms, until I saw the picture on this link: theforagingphotographer.wordpress.com/?s=Slow+worm because slow worms aren't described as being black. Except ours were, completely black, parent and children. Now I know that they were melanistic! How lovely. I am even more jealous of my beighbour now Grin

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 01/07/2015 17:24

I have definitely seen one in Yorkshire, on a steep coastal path somewhere near Robin Hood's Bay. Its was dead, sadly, probably due to the heat that year.

getdownshep · 01/07/2015 17:34

We have loads in our compost bin and they sunbathe under our decking, beautiful creatures in West Sussex.

SirVixofVixHall · 01/07/2015 18:25

We used to have them in our garden but I haven't seen one for a while. I get a lot of rooks, perhaps they eat them. When I was a child I had a pet one and I sometimes took it into school in a shoe box full of grass and kept it in my desk...taking it out at playtime and making the other girls squeal in horror...

GinUpGirl · 01/07/2015 19:48

I've just googled slow worms. Those things are practically snakes. Brb... shitting myself.

TalcAndTurnips · 01/07/2015 20:14

I love slow worms.

I damaged one once, when riding my bike as a child. I was distraught as I knelt and examined its poor squished body. My father tried in vain to console me; I was blinded by tears - I suggested that we took it home and put an Elastoplast on the wound.

Poor slow worm was scooped gently into my bike basket, but the life had left its little body before we reached the end of the path. Sad

to think slow worms are lovley
ajandjjmum · 01/07/2015 20:28

So.....is this a good thread to research which southern coastal county has the LEAST sightings of anything slightly slithery? Or should I start my own? Grin

bluebump · 01/07/2015 20:34

We used to get loads in our garden before I had to cut some bushes down. I saw one at my mums a little while ago too.

FoulsomeAndMaggotwise · 01/07/2015 20:38

I never knew these existed! I wish we had some.

TalcAndTurnips · 01/07/2015 20:38

aj - all my slithery sightings have been in West Sussex; the chalky downland grassy slopes and woods are home to many adders, lizards and slow worms.

And brimstone butterflies - my absolute favourite.

to think slow worms are lovley
WhatALoadOfOldBollocks · 01/07/2015 21:30

They're lovely! I've not seen one for years though Sad

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