Talk:Slow worm

Tin and flat plastic do indeed attract slowworms. Warm day is a bit misleading. The lizzard regulates its body temperature by moving to suitable places. Optimum temp is neither too hot nor too cold. In cloudy day, the plastic is of no interest. In a sunny day the plastic tends to be warmer then the surrounding ground. So in the morning and in the spring it is preferable. In a hot summer day it is avoided, because it is too hot. --Etxrge 6 July 2005 12:14 (UTC)

50cm is nowhere near the longest lizard, since Komodo Monitors qualify as lizards and are well over 72cm.

How to eliminate them from my garden? I hate slowworms.

How can you hate slow worms? They are great! But anyway, serious point here - the article says they are known for their exceptionally long life; it has been said that a slow-worm is the longest living lizard. How long is "exceptionally long"? Where is it said that "a slow-worm is the longest living lizard"? Quick google throws up "With at least one captive individual living beyond 50 years of age, wild individuals could possibly live for 20 years of more." but that's not very conclusive. MyNameIsClare talk 20:22, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

You can't truly "eradicate" their presence. That would be like asking how to obliterate snails or slugs from your garden. However, if you are really serious about getting rid of them, the best way I know of is to get yourself a chicken. Let it roam free in your garden. It will spend 12 hours a day (for a very moderate pay check) searching for food in your garden. Every time it stumbles upon a slowworm, it will frantically hit it with its beak and thump it with its feet. The worm will quickly die and in most cases the chicken will eat it (partly at least). Chickens are fierce enemies of anything that vaguely resembles a snake (especially if it's not too big).

Naturally, the bigger your flock of chickens, the more efficient this totally natural technique will be. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.57.12.119 (talk) 14:01, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

I have a pet slowworm. Her name is fluffy. She's very cute and likes to lie in my hands for the heat =)

For the insect, see sloe-worm ?

This link takes you to Prunus spinosa, which is not really an insect... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 57.66.138.14 (talk) 07:51, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

slow worm (anguis fragilis)

I work for London Underground Limited, and have recently discovered a slow worm population exisitng in a trackside environment. I am just starting to learn more about these beautiful creatures. Truly amazing animals. How can anyone say they want to 'eradicate' a population? Surely that's illegal? At least it is in the UK. My colleagues and I are taking positive steps to foster, conserve, and protect these animals. Thank goodness I work for a company which takes it's environmental responsibilities seriously. I get the support and encouragement to achieve these aims at every stage. Ian.62.60.98.134 (talk) 23:06, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Possible errors regarding the protection of slow worms

I've just had to look into the laws regarding slow worms and thought I may as well post my findings here...

They seem to be covered (in the UK) by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 – Schedule 5 lists the species covered by the act and the specific sections that apply to them http://www.jncc.gov.uk/PDF/waca1981_schedule5.pdf (Joint Nature Conservation Committee http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ ). The Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) is covered “in respect of Section 9(5) only”. This section (found at http://www.jncc.gov.uk/PDF/waca1981_part1.pdf - page 12 of the pdf file) states that it is an offence to sell any animal (live, dead, any part or derivative of), to transport these species for sale purposes or to publish an advertisement that conveys that you may buy or sell the species covered. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedules) Order 1988 (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19880288_en_1.htm) - Variation of section 5: 2(4) The Viviparous Lizard (Lacerta vivipara), the Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) and the Grass Snake (Natrix helvetica otherwise known as Natrix natrix) (which are already listed in Schedule 5 to the Act in respect of section 9(5) only) are hereby further listed in respect of section 9(1)so far as it relates to killing and injuring.

Again - I expect to see more to be added to this before it's ready to go into the finished article.

Seyemon (talk) 22:39, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Longevity and blue spots

The article states "it has been said that a slow-worm is the longest-living lizard, living about thirty years in the wild and up to fifty-four years in captivity (this record is held by a male slow worm that lived at the Copenhagen Zoo from 1962 to 2009)". I question the Copenhagen part of this, because (1) neither of the references cited mentions Copenhagen, (2) 2009 - 1962 = 47, not 54, and (3) I remember a figure of fifty-something years being bandied around several decades ago, long before 2009 when the Copenhagen slow-worm allegedly died. Can anyone find a better source? Old Guinness books of records perhaps?

Also, I have seen blue-spotted slow-worms on the Isle of Wight, where somebody told me that only (some of the) males had this feature. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.53.69.150 (talk) 19:27, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Contradiction

One of the biggest causes of mortality in slow worms in suburban areas is the domestic cat, against which it has no defence.

Like many other lizards, slow worms autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails in order to escape predators.

82.32.235.134 (talk) 20:50, 22 June 2011 (UTC)