Slow worms

Slow worms are lovely snake-like creatures and this weekend my cousins and I were lucky enough to be able to hold a couple that we had found.  They were found when searching for grass snakes, curled up in a pile of grass cuttings.  I thought they would be a surprise for my cousins (both younger than me) who like me, live in a city - however, when I asked the youngest if she was afraid of snakes (I was about to reveal that they weren't snakes at all) she replied "But you said they're slow worms. They're not snakes - they're limbless reptiles!"  I was surprised and delighted that she knew this because they are indeed - they even have eyelids which most sets them apart from snakes.

look at it's little tongue!!

So this is just a quick little post with my photos of slow worms because I think they are so beautiful and - I want to make this clear; they are not at all slimy, quite dry, just lovely and smooth and wonderful to hold  (like snakes). My cousin couldn't get enough of stroking them! So don't be fooled by the reflection off their shiny scales

One of them managed to tie itself into a little knot - and just when I thought it couldn't get any more tangled he decided to tuck his head under his tail!

We returned them both to exactly where they were found and they quickly shot back into their big nest of grass clippings never to be seen again - for all that they're called slow worms they move quite fast!