Italian Slowworm

Anguis veronensis

The Italian Slowworm is a special legless lizard that looks like a snake! It has smooth, shiny skin and loves to hide under rocks and leaves in gardens and forests.

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The Italian Slowworm is a legless lizard with a snake-like body, covered in smooth, glossy scales. It often has a grey, brown, or bronze coloration, sometimes with a coppery sheen. Unlike a snake, it possesses distinct eyelids and small ear openings.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassSquamataOrderLacertiliaFamilyAnguidaeGenusAnguis

Italian Slowworm

Interesting facts

If scared, it can drop its tail to escape danger, and the tail will grow back!

They love munching on slugs and snails, helping gardeners protect their plants.

This lizard looks like a snake, but it has eyelids and can blink its eyes!

Unlike most reptiles, Italian Slowworms give birth to live babies, not eggs!

Special abilities

The Italian Slowworm can drop its tail if grabbed, because of a special break-point, that helps them escape from predators.

Italian Slowworm has eyelids, like other lizards, that helps them blink and protect their eyes from dirt and injury.

Italian Slowworms give birth to live young, not eggs, that helps their babies be more developed and ready for life.

Measurements & details

Length: 20-50 cm
Weight: 0.02-0.1 kg
Lifespan: 10-20 years
Top Speed: 1 km/h

Diet & Feeding

Snappy eaters of garden pests, like slugs and snails!

Primary Foods

slugs
snails
earthworms
insects

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eats

Spanish Slug

Arion vulgaris

A common prey item in gardens and damp habitats.

eats

Common Garden Snail

Cornu aspersum

Feeds on garden snails, helping control their populations.

eats

Common Earthworm

Lumbricus terrestris

A regular part of its invertebrate diet.

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

A common predator in its terrestrial habitats.

eaten by

Common Buzzard

Buteo buteo

Occasionally predates on slowworms from the air.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Grassland

Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Decomposer

Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Hibernating

Hibernating animals enter a state of metabolic depression during cold periods or when food is scarce, characterized by reduced body temperature and activity.