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RAUK - Archived Forum - Slow-worm Identification and Sightings

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Slow-worm Identification and Sightings:

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GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


View other posts by GemmaJF
Posted: 20 Aug 2003

A description and images of the Slow-worm Anguis fragilis may be found at:

 

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/slow_worm.htm

 

® Gemma Fairchild

 

 


 

administrator37898.9686805556
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Tony Phelps
Forum Specialist
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
No. of posts: 575


View other posts by Tony Phelps
Posted: 13 Sep 2003
Just an add on to my good smooth snake day. Lee will recall me saying about a long term male slow worm which has been under the same time for a long while. Saw him today, looking well and very blue-spotted; this makes it 16 years that he has been under the same tin. Anyone else have any long term records?

Tony
AGILIS
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
No. of posts: 694


View other posts by AGILIS
Posted: 28 Feb 2007
HI ALL IF IT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST  . IN THE LATE 1950s I FOUND A COMPLETE ALBINO SLOWORM  WHITE & PINK NO BROWN ON IT AT ALL WHICH I GAVE TO A HERPETOLOGIST OF THE DAY A MR GEO MALENOIR OF LEYTON IN ESSEX SADLY NOW GONE , WHO HAD A HUGE OUTSIDE VIVARIA IN WHICH SAND LIZARDS BRED AND WERE RELEASED BACK INTO PLACES LIKE FRENSHAM AND DORSET WITH HELP FROM ME ...BUT BACK TO THIS SLOWORM NEXT THING I KNEW IT WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND DISECTED NOT ON MY WISHES  AS BEING A TEENAGER THERE WAS A REPORT IN HE PAPERS AT THE TIME ,THAT MENTIONED THIS RARE CAPTURE WITH ME GIVEN CREDIT FOR IT. I CAUGHT IT AT BALDWINS HILL LOUGHTON  IN EPPING FOREST IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX I AM KNOW DOWN LOADING SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES AS I KNOW US HERPETOLOGISTS LIKE TO KEEP RECORDS OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE LOST IN THE PAST AND READING ABOUT MR TONY PHELPS WHOM I HAVE ADMIRATION  FOR AS TO HIS ENDEAVOURS IN THIS FIELD I NOW KNOW I AM NO LONGER THE OLDEST CROC STALKING ABOUT T HEATHLAND. . KEITH  BENNETT AGILIS39184.1281944444
   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
Jaikaiman
Member
Joined: 31 May 2007
No. of posts: 1


View other posts by Jaikaiman
Posted: 31 May 2007

About 20 Years ago now, in the village of Clutton, in Somerset, I caught a completely Black Skinned Slow Worm.  Whats more interesting is that the Slow Worm lived in the vicinity of a coal merchant yard.  Could it be that this slow worm had evolved this colour purely for camoflage?

P.s. No the slow worm was not covered in coal dust ;-)

P.p.s Have also seen Blue speckled grey ones (Her name was Biggums - she was very large, and quite old).


Live Love and Learn.

- Slow-worm Identification and Sightings

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