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Anguis fragilis Slow Worm Despite its snake-like appearance the Slow Worm is a legless lizard — unlike snakes it has eyelids it can blink, a notched (not forked) tongue, and will shed its tail (autotomy) as a defence against predators. Adults grow to 30–50 cm. Females are brown with dark sides; males are typically grey or coppery-brown, sometimes with blue spots. They give birth to live young, up to 12 per litter, in late summer. |
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Anguis fragilis Slow Worm Note: These individuals were found sheltering beneath wood debris on the Adur riverside at Shoreham. Slow Worms favour refuge sites such as logs, corrugated tin sheets and compost heaps where they bask in the warmth retained by the material. They are wholly protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. Their diet consists mainly of slow-moving prey — slugs, earthworms and small insects — making them a gardener's ally. |
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