Slow Worm
🦎 Habitat: Rough grassland, woodland edges, heathland, gardens and sunny hedgerows
📍 Found in Britain: Widespread across England and Wales, but rarely seen because they spend much of their time hidden
📏 Size: Usually 30–50 cm long
🌿 Season: Most active from spring to early autumn
🐌 Wildlife Connections: Feed mainly on slugs, snails, worms and other small invertebrates, helping to keep these populations in balance
👀 Look out for: A smooth, shiny bronze or grey body with no legs, often basking or hiding beneath logs, stones or sheets of tin used for reptile surveys
🦸 Nature Superpower: Slow worms can shed their tails to escape predators, sacrificing part of their body to save their life
✨ Fun Fact: Although they look just like snakes, slow worms can blink! They have eyelids because they're actually legless lizards.
It looks like a snake, but it's actually a legless lizard! Discover one of Britain's most misunderstood reptiles.
One of my favourite things about nature is discovering that something isn't quite what you thought it was. That was certainly true for slow worms.
The first time we came across one was during a family nature day at Barton Fields. We'd gone along hoping to learn a bit more about local wildlife, but neither of us really knew much about slow worms. Little Leopard was absolutely thrilled when he was given the opportunity to gently hold one. The biggest surprise? It wasn't a snake at all.
Despite their long, shiny bodies, slow worms are actually legless lizards. Once you know that, lots of things suddenly make much more sense. Unlike snakes, they have eyelids that blink, visible ear openings and a much stiffer body. It's one of those facts that completely changes the way you look at them.
We were lucky enough to encounter slow worms again during an event at Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre. Seeing one a second time made us realise just how secretive they are. They spend much of their lives hidden beneath logs, stones, long grass and piles of leaves, so unless someone is carefully surveying for them, most people never realise they're there.
Whenever we're exploring a nature reserve with rough grassland or sunny woodland edges, we find ourselves wondering whether a slow worm might be tucked away beneath our feet. So far, though, we've only ever seen them at organised wildlife events. Spotting one on one of our own adventures is still firmly on our wildlife wish list.
One of the reasons slow worms are so difficult to find is that they're masters of keeping hidden. Rather than chasing prey, they quietly hunt slugs, snails, worms and other small invertebrates, making them wonderful natural pest controllers in gardens as well as nature reserves.
They also have an extraordinary way of escaping danger. If a predator grabs their tail, they can deliberately shed it. The wriggling tail continues to twitch, distracting the predator while the slow worm escapes. Although the tail does grow back, it never quite returns to its original length or shape.
Unlike many reptiles, slow worms don't lay eggs. Instead, the females keep the eggs inside their bodies until they're ready to hatch, giving birth to tiny live young in late summer. It's another reason they're such unusual reptiles.
Sadly, slow worms are declining in many places as rough grassland disappears and gardens become tidier, leaving fewer places for them to shelter. Simply leaving piles of logs, long grass or compost heaps can provide valuable homes for these fascinating creatures.
So next time you're exploring a nature reserve, don't just look ahead. Look down too. A patch of long grass, a warm sunny bank or a carefully lifted log (always replaced exactly as you found it) could be hiding one of Britain's most remarkable reptiles.
We're still hoping that one day we'll spot one all by ourselves
Where we spotted it
Why not try these Oxfordshire Nature Adventures to see if you can spot any slow worms? Or head here for more inspiration
March 2026 · Nature Reserve · Event
Barton Fields
A guided walk around the nature reserve, bird watching, learning how to spot signs of animals and handling newts and slow worms
April 2026 · Events
Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre
Attending wonderful events at this BBOWT site including pond dipping, night safari and other family events.
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