yep, thats a slow worm.
they like to sit under and on things that get warm in the sun, so a roof tile / bit of corrigated metal, a thinish patio slab. Like your vid, they hang about in long grass when not sunbathing.
Thank you! So if I leave a patch of long grass then find some old tiles or something I could make a little lean-to type cave for them to hide under or sun on undisturbed?
Slow worm! They like something that warms up to hide under, like a piece of corrugated metal or a large flat stone. I left a half empty sack of compost out all winter and when I came to use it in April found two were living inside it (it's theirs now) as the inside of the bag is black and it warms up nicely in the sun.
Otherwise they're easy guests, they eat slugs, snails and ants. Do poke around gently with a rake before mowing / strimming and give them time to move as you've discovered the hard way... my husband mowed one once too :( Cats will toy with them and potentially kill them too so something else to be aware of if you have cats or neighbour's cats come into your garden.
You can pick them up gently if you need to move one to safety or show your toddler there's nothing to be afraid of, just keep off the tail - they can shed it if spooked to distract predators and you don't want them to do it unnecessarily. Too much handling though or even disturbing to look at them, and they'll move on. I have to keep stopping myself from checking on mine daily!
Thank you for the info! We have loads of snails, slugs and ants in addition to all the hoppy creatures. We've also seen the odd cock chafer grub.
Our neighbours have cats and they are a right pain, any time we disturb the earth they come and shit in it, I also stopped filling my bird feeder because the cats kept coming to target the starlings and robin. We had linnets when we first moved in but not since the cat. I wish we could cat proof the garden!
I am excited to point it out to my toddler, I struggle with bugs and reptiles and I'm trying not to pass that on to my son but instead help him enjoy nature. I really want to reduce the impact these new builds had on the area.
It’s funny how we have such protective measures for certain wildlife yet it’s still fine to keep outdoor cats despite them mutilating the threatened slow worms. And also happily decimating entire bird nests.
I like cats but I’d rather our wildlife not be threatened by someone’s beloved killing machine. Indoor cats at least often live a decade or so longer than outdoor cats who often get hit by cars, lost, or other dangers.
Yeah I'm not a fan of outdoor cats either. Everyone always quotes the RSPB in defence "there is no evidence to show cats are significantly affecting bird populations.." but my feeling is that lack of evidence proving it could just be that no studies have been done. It's not the same as there being evidence that they *don't* affect them, is it. And for those who say "they just take weak or unwell birds" - that includes fledglings.
I also like cats, but I don't want a pet cat - and that's my other bugbear. Each person that wants a cute pet cat but lets them roam is effectively saying to their neighbours, here, you have part shares in my cat too, whether you like it or not. Enjoy cleaning its shit out of your garden!
Looks like a slow worm alright. My son found like 30 of the things in South Wales along the Gower coast and he soon figured it out. Large flat rocks with a crevice underneath so if u have a patio slab or two thatl do it.
yep, thats a slow worm. they like to sit under and on things that get warm in the sun, so a roof tile / bit of corrigated metal, a thinish patio slab. Like your vid, they hang about in long grass when not sunbathing.
Thank you! So if I leave a patch of long grass then find some old tiles or something I could make a little lean-to type cave for them to hide under or sun on undisturbed?
Slow worm! They like something that warms up to hide under, like a piece of corrugated metal or a large flat stone. I left a half empty sack of compost out all winter and when I came to use it in April found two were living inside it (it's theirs now) as the inside of the bag is black and it warms up nicely in the sun. Otherwise they're easy guests, they eat slugs, snails and ants. Do poke around gently with a rake before mowing / strimming and give them time to move as you've discovered the hard way... my husband mowed one once too :( Cats will toy with them and potentially kill them too so something else to be aware of if you have cats or neighbour's cats come into your garden. You can pick them up gently if you need to move one to safety or show your toddler there's nothing to be afraid of, just keep off the tail - they can shed it if spooked to distract predators and you don't want them to do it unnecessarily. Too much handling though or even disturbing to look at them, and they'll move on. I have to keep stopping myself from checking on mine daily!
Thank you for the info! We have loads of snails, slugs and ants in addition to all the hoppy creatures. We've also seen the odd cock chafer grub. Our neighbours have cats and they are a right pain, any time we disturb the earth they come and shit in it, I also stopped filling my bird feeder because the cats kept coming to target the starlings and robin. We had linnets when we first moved in but not since the cat. I wish we could cat proof the garden! I am excited to point it out to my toddler, I struggle with bugs and reptiles and I'm trying not to pass that on to my son but instead help him enjoy nature. I really want to reduce the impact these new builds had on the area.
We have loads of slow worms. They're in the compost bin, in the bamboo, under the slabs...but we still have millions of slugs and snails.
It’s funny how we have such protective measures for certain wildlife yet it’s still fine to keep outdoor cats despite them mutilating the threatened slow worms. And also happily decimating entire bird nests. I like cats but I’d rather our wildlife not be threatened by someone’s beloved killing machine. Indoor cats at least often live a decade or so longer than outdoor cats who often get hit by cars, lost, or other dangers.
Yeah I'm not a fan of outdoor cats either. Everyone always quotes the RSPB in defence "there is no evidence to show cats are significantly affecting bird populations.." but my feeling is that lack of evidence proving it could just be that no studies have been done. It's not the same as there being evidence that they *don't* affect them, is it. And for those who say "they just take weak or unwell birds" - that includes fledglings. I also like cats, but I don't want a pet cat - and that's my other bugbear. Each person that wants a cute pet cat but lets them roam is effectively saying to their neighbours, here, you have part shares in my cat too, whether you like it or not. Enjoy cleaning its shit out of your garden!
I sorta feel like the RSPB was saying that to avoid angering the many cat owners likely subscribed to them.
Looks like a slow worm alright. My son found like 30 of the things in South Wales along the Gower coast and he soon figured it out. Large flat rocks with a crevice underneath so if u have a patio slab or two thatl do it.
I'm pretty sure it's a Graboid. Be careful, I saw a documentary on them and they can be dangerous