Slow Worm

A female slow worm (Anguis fragilis) found on Cors Fochno in the Cambrian Mountains. Slow worms are one of only three species of lizard that are native to Wales. Slow worms are semi-fossorial (burrowing) lizards spending much of the time hiding underneath objects. The skin of the varieties of slow worm is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many other lizards, slow-worms autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails in order to escape predators. The tail regrows, but remains smaller. (September 2009)