to think slow worms are lovley

[suzziearoundtheworld]

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

So jealous. No slow worms or snakes at all - nearly NO reptiles in ireland.

We have had quite a few in the garden this year and followed them to a sort of 'nest' they had created by our rockery.
Our cat is fascinated by them and just sits and watches them (with us watching her to make sure she doesn't touch!).

Initially, they did make me jump, thinking they were small snakes, but they are actually very cute and I don't mind them a bit!

I want some slow worms; can someone please parcel a box of them up and send to me please

Saved from the cat

should fit through my letterbox nee bother!

Please tell me there aren't really poisonous spiders.

Spiders/snakes are venomous, not poisonous.

It bites you, you die - venomous. (spider)
You bite it, you die - poisonous. (Toadstools)

And as for all these people saying slow worms are snakes, idiots. As loads have pointed out on here, they're legless lizards. Why are morons continuing with the snake argument?

Hot weather getting to you TTWK!!!

Hot weather getting to you TTWK!!!

No, morons are getting to me. If everyone on MN had the intelligence of a slow worm, it would be a step up for about 10% .

I love slow worms! We used to see lots when I was younger and living next to a huge field. Also the cats would bring them in.

We have cats now so I don't suppose there are any nearby.

I had an argument with a cub leader who insisted one was a snake when the kids spotted one on a hike. No no no!

I've never seen a snake in the wild here, though I'm always looking out for them. DH has seen loads of adders, I'm so jealous.

eleventy glad you like the photos (and thank you to everyone else who commented on that too). I've PMed you the details of where to find the refugia - assuming they're still there (I took the pics in 2012).

MadHatters the pics of slow worm skeleton's teeth look a bit scary, but with flesh on they wouldn't protrude much, I think. They are also all angled inwards and backwards (as are snakes, in many cases) to aid them getting their slimy prey down. The teeth at the front (which they would bite you with) are pretty tiny.

Even my ten foot Burmese pythons had relatively small teeth - lots and lots of little tiny needle-like ones, similarly angled inwards and backwards. That did hurt when they bit you though...

TT I love that summary of the difference between poisonous and venomous! I have to bite my tongue not to correct people when they confuse the two.

I understand that grass snakes aren't venomous but do they still bite? Worried about dim dog after the adder amputation story above...

I would imagine that grass snakes do bite, pythons are constrictors and ours bit us!! bastards

on a scale of 1-10, how painful was a python biteLEM ?

I'd never heard of or encountered slow worms, and google reliably informs me that I probably wouldn't wish to.

If it has more than four legs and fewer than two, it needs to stay far away from me.

on par with a cat bite i guess, althoguh i have scars from cat bites and scratches (ex vet nurse) but nothing from when the snake bit me. They were DP's snakes but one of them was really snappy so he wouldn't handle it, thanks DP. Sadly they have passed on. I don't think snakes make good pets (not because they bite but they don't really get much out of being a pet snake do they)

ours were carpet pythons which are known to be more aggressive and have huge teeth!

We don't have them in Ireland.
St Paddy must have got confused and drove them from Ireland along with the snakes.
Shoulda gone to speeksavers.

Lol Specksavers. Think I should have gone with him.

Our wild snakes are very good at sensing the approach of people and other animals and they would always opt get away as quickly as possible if they can, rather than be forced to defend themselves. If a grass snake feels cornered it'll hiss warningly and may play dead. If you continue to hassle it, it'll release the contents of its anal gland - seriously horrible by all accounts. Biting would be an absolute last resort.

Arrrggggg Specsavers!

Some naughty person or persons has illegally introduced slow-worms to Ireland - the Burren in Co Clare. But they have apparently not spread from there (been there for about 20 years).

Some naughty person or persons has illegally introduced slow-worms to Ireland - the Burren in Co Clare. But they have apparently not spread

I really don't understand why people think it's acceptable to do that. Don't get me wrong, I know in the case of slow worms, it would appear that they shouldn't have a negative effect on that environment, but why do that?

On second thoughts, I wonder were they put there to stop development as they are a protected species? I wonder if they're protected in Ireland though if they're not native?

Wonder why I'm suddenly fascinated by slow worms. I think I need a coffee.

Not sure if it's different in Ireland, but in the UK the presence of a non-native species wouldn't make a difference to planned developments. The mandarin duck is a case in point - it's declining rapidly in China where it's native, and some people think that the non-native population in England should be encouraged to thrive and spread, to help safeguard its future globally. But at present it has no conservation status in the UK, just the general protection that applies to all wild birds in Britain, and if it were to decline here there would be no special action taken to stop it from disappearning.