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RAUK - Archived Forum - the day the (slow) worm turned

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the day the (slow) worm turned:
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ben rigsby
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
No. of posts: 337


View other posts by ben rigsby 		Posted: 23 Jun 2010
question for our AF experts;

today i witnessed something id never seen before (you probably have).

while awaiting a lift at work i scanned what i thought looked like probable AF habitat (wooded scree, bramble and human debris leading down to a disused railway track).

pleasingly, sure enough i soon spotted, while very slowly scanning inch by inch (i think) the same lovely female id seen and caught the day before. a metre or so from the same spot.

her shine, as ever, gave her away among the leaf litter and twigs.

medium sized specimen.

i watched her for about 10 min and she never attempted to progress forward or reverse but every so often she SLOWLY ROTATED her partially exposed body.

i couldnt see her head.

was she trying to help her thermoregulation by exposing her belly scales to sun in spinning, trying to overpower a difficult prey item or something else?

end my misery guys n gals!

ben
Diversity.
ben rigsby
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
No. of posts: 337


View other posts by ben rigsby 		Posted: 23 Jun 2010
i should point out, she wasnt in any seeming distress from predator or otherwise.
Diversity.
herpetologic2
Senior Member
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
No. of posts: 1369


View other posts by herpetologic2 		Posted: 23 Jun 2010
Did she have her head stuck into a snail's shell? The
slowworm has powerful jaws with sharp teeth just right for
pulling out a snail from its shell

J
Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant -
visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife
ben rigsby
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
No. of posts: 337


View other posts by ben rigsby 		Posted: 24 Jun 2010
wow! if youve witnessed that in the wild it mustve been fantastic! seen them with slugs but not snails so far.

like i said i couldnt see the head.

it certainly was methodical and purposeful controlled movement. whatever the cause.
she chose to do it i know that much.

thanks
Diversity.

- the day the (slow) worm turned

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