# Eastern Slowworm (*Anguis colchica*)

The Eastern Slowworm is a legless lizard that looks like a snake! It has shiny, smooth skin and loves to hide under rocks and leaves in the garden.

- **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Slowworm

![Eastern Slowworm](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anguis_colchica2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Omid Mozaffari, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anguis_colchica2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Eastern Slowworm has a long, cylindrical body that is shiny and covered in smooth scales, usually coppery-brown, bronze, or greyish. Juveniles often display a prominent dark stripe down their back. Unlike snakes, they possess eyelids and visible ear openings.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Squamata
- **Order:** Lacertilia
- **Family:** Anguidae
- **Genus:** Anguis

## Interesting facts

- Eastern Slowworms have tiny ears and can blink, traits true snakes completely lack!
- If you find one, they feel smooth and cool to the touch, almost like glass!
- They use their strong, recurved teeth to grip slippery prey like slugs and earthworms!
- They're called 'slowworms' but are actually lizards, not worms or snakes at all!

## Special abilities

- **Amazing Regeneration:** Eastern Slowworm can drop its tail to escape danger because it regenerates a new one, helping them survive attacks.
- **Legless Locomotion:** Eastern Slowworm can smoothly glide through dense undergrowth and loose soil because its body is perfectly adapted for burrowing.
- **Blinking Eyes:** Eastern Slowworm has eyelids that close, allowing them to blink and protect their eyes from dirt, unlike true snakes.
- **Live Birth:** Eastern Slowworm gives birth to live, fully formed babies instead of laying eggs, helping its young have a safer start.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 30-50 cm
- **Weight:** 0.02-0.1 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-20 years
- **Speed:** 0.5 km/h
- **Clutch Size:** 6-17

## Diet & Feeding

These slow-moving hunters munch on soft-bodied creatures like slugs and earthworms.

- **Primary Foods:** Slugs, Earthworms, Snails, Insect larvae
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — A primary food source.
- **Eats:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Often consumed in moist areas.
- **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A common predator in its range.
- **Eaten by:** [Common Buzzard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-buzzard) (*Buteo buteo*) — Hunts slow-moving reptiles.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.
- [Ambush Predator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ambush-predator): An ambush predator hunts by patiently waiting and concealing itself, then launching a sudden attack when unsuspecting prey comes within range.
- [Hibernating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/hibernating): Hibernating animals enter a state of metabolic depression during cold periods or when food is scarce, characterized by reduced body temperature and activity.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

## Collections

- [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

If you see a slowworm, watch it from a distance and don't pick it up.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Eastern Slowworm?

Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Eastern Slowworm?

30-50 cm

### How much does Eastern Slowworm weigh?

0.02-0.1 kg

### How long does Eastern Slowworm live?

10-20 years

### How fast can Eastern Slowworm move?

0.5 km/h

### What does Eastern Slowworm eat?

These slow-moving hunters munch on soft-bodied creatures like slugs and earthworms.

### Where is Eastern Slowworm usually found?

Grasslands

### How does Eastern Slowworm hunt?

Foraging

## More Reptiles

- [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*)
- [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*)
- [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*)
- [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*)

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Source: [Eastern Slowworm: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-slowworm)