# Slowworms (*Anguis*)

Slowworms are special reptiles that look like snakes but are actually lizards! They have smooth, shiny skin and love to hide under rocks and leaves in gardens and grasslands.

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

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

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anguidae.jpg)

## Appearance

The Slowworm is a legless lizard with a long, cylindrical body and a small head. It has smooth, glossy scales and often appears metallic brown, grey, or bronze, sometimes with a dark stripe along its back or flanks. Unlike snakes, it possesses eyelids and visible ear openings.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Did you know the Slowworm is actually a lizard, not a snake, even though it has no legs?
- Instead of laying eggs, baby Slowworms hatch inside their mother and are born alive!
- Slowworms can live longer than many pets, with some reaching over 50 years old in zoos!
- They use their long, forked tongues to "smell" their surroundings and find tasty snacks!

## Special abilities

- **Tail Escape:** Slowworms can shed their tail when threatened because it wriggles, distracting predators while they escape.
- **Blinking Eyes:** Slowworms have eyelids, allowing them to blink and close their eyes, unlike most snakes.
- **Live Birth:** Slowworms give birth to live, fully formed young because the eggs develop inside the mother, providing protection.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 30-50 cm
- **Weight:** 0.02-0.15 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-30 years
- **Speed:** 0.8 km/h
- **Clutch Size:** 3-20
- **Incubation:** 60-90 days

## Diet & Feeding

Slowworms are hungry helpers who love to munch on slugs, snails, and insects!

- **Primary Foods:** Slugs, Snails, Earthworms, Spiders, Woodlice, Small insects
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — A common predator that hunts Slowworms.
- **Eaten by:** [Common Buzzard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-buzzard) (*Buteo buteo*) — Birds of prey sometimes snatch Slowworms.
- **Hunts:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slowworms are excellent hunters of garden slugs.
- **Hunts:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Earthworms are a favourite snack for Slowworms.

## 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.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

If you see a slowworm, just watch it from a distance and don't try to touch it.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Slowworms?

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 Slowworms?

30-50 cm

### How much does Slowworms weigh?

0.02-0.15 kg

### How long does Slowworms live?

10-30 years

### How fast can Slowworms move?

0.8 km/h

### What does Slowworms eat?

Slowworms are hungry helpers who love to munch on slugs, snails, and insects!

### Where is Slowworms usually found?

Grasslands

### How does Slowworms 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: [Slowworms: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/slowworms)