Slow worm

Slow worm
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Anguidae
Genus:	Anguis
Species:	A. fragilis
Binomial name
Anguis fragilis Linnaeus, 1758
Range of A. fragilis

The slowworm (Anguis fragilis) is a legless lizard native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, slow worm, blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. The "blind" in blindworm refers to the lizard's small eyes, similar to a blindsnake (although the slowworm's eyes are functional).

Slow worms are semifossorial^[2] (burrowing) lizards, spending much of their time hiding underneath objects. The skin of slow worms is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many other lizards, they autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails to escape predators. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length. In the UK, they are common in gardens and allotments, and can be encouraged to enter and help remove pest insects by placing black plastic or providing places to shelter such as piles of logs, corrugated iron sheets or under tiles.^[3] On warm days, one or more slow worms can often be found underneath these heat collectors. One of the biggest causes of mortality in slow worms in suburban areas is the domestic cat, against which it has no defence.^[4]

Slow worms have been shown to be a species complex, consisting of 5 distinct but similar species.

The name "slowworm" does not come from the word "slow". In Middle English it was written "slowurm", from Old English "slāwyrm", where slā- means 'earthworm' or 'slowworm' and wyrm means "serpent, reptile".^[5][6] It is related to the Norwegian slo or Swedish ormslå, of same meaning.