Ian James Photography

Slow-worm

This Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) was found in a friend's goldfish pond, much to her annoyance! Whilst this one was an unwelcome visitor in the pond, slow-worms are helpful to gardeners as they provide a pest removal service.

Although snake-like at first glance, a slow-worm has eyelids that blink and visible ears, like a lizard; this has earned the general monikor of being ‘legless lizards’. I'm reasonably sure that this individual was a male, as it had the occasional blue spot running down its back.