# 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. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Italian Slowworm](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anguis_fragilis_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anguis_fragilis_1.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Anguidae - **Genus:** Anguis ## 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 - **Tail Escape:** The Italian Slowworm can drop its tail if grabbed, because of a special break-point, that helps them escape from predators. - **Blinking Eye:** Italian Slowworm has eyelids, like other lizards, that helps them blink and protect their eyes from dirt and injury. - **Live Birth:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A common predator in its terrestrial habitats. - **Eaten by:** [Common Buzzard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-buzzard) (*Buteo buteo*) — Occasionally predates on slowworms from the air. ## 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. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [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 touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Italian 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 Italian Slowworm? 20-50 cm ### How much does Italian Slowworm weigh? 0.02-0.1 kg ### How long does Italian Slowworm live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Italian Slowworm move? 1 km/h ### What does Italian Slowworm eat? Snappy eaters of garden pests, like slugs and snails! ### Where is Italian Slowworm usually found? Grasslands ### How does Italian 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*) --- Source: [Italian Slowworm: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/italian-slowworm)