the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles
Home Page Live Forums Archived Forums Site Search Identify Record Donate Projects Links
Forum Home Forum Home > Herpetofauna Native to the UK > Slow Worm
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Largest ever Slow-worm
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Largest ever Slow-worm

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
Matt Harris View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 03 Jun 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 233
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Matt Harris Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Largest ever Slow-worm
    Posted: 25 Apr 2008 at 12:11pm
In answer to a request from a colleague, does anyone have any documented evidence of the largest size(TL) attained by a Slow-worm in the UK? And also has any research been conducted on the Slow-worms of Steep Holm and Flat Holm, which are reported to be larger than their mainland counterparts?

Thanks in advance,

Matt
Local Authority Ecologist
Back to Top
herpetologic2 View Drop Down
Forum Coordinator
Forum Coordinator
Avatar

Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1511
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2008 at 1:43pm

I have found a slowworm during a translocation project which was measured by Nick Smith and it was measured at 256mm SVL length. I measured it at 246mm SVL - Nick was demonstrating how inaccurate measuresment can be with slowworms. He has measured quite a few in his studies and he knows how to get a good measurement - mine was 10mm out.

Nick had suggestd at that meeting that the slowworm was the second longest he has ever heard about. There is an old record which I will dig out which is larger and I think it was from the Bristol Area which he mentioned.

The slowworm was male and was captured in Dorking in Surrey. It was being used as a specimen at the South East Meeting at Marwell Zoo in 2006.

Any other measurements from translocation data this year

slowworms n=369 - longest = 192mm, shortest = 42mm (SVL) We don't measure TL though. 

 

 

(ps Steve - the surrey records will be heading their way to you ASAP)

 

 

Report your sightings to the Record Pool http://arguk.org/recording
Back to Top
dave fixx View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 13 Mar 2007
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 411
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dave fixx Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Oct 2008 at 4:14pm
didnt measure this one but its the biggest I ve seen or held.I will try and let you have some record sizes from up here asap.

Edited by dave fixx
Dave Williams
davewilliamsphotography.co.uk
Back to Top
AGILIS View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1689
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AGILIS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2008 at 2:14pm

   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
Back to Top
AGILIS View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1689
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AGILIS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2008 at 2:16pm
ALL ONE CAN SAY THAT   ITS A GREAT SLOWORM DAVE CONGRATULATIONS KEITH

Edited by AGILIS
   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
Back to Top
Vicar View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1184
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Oct 2008 at 5:22am
This chap from Hindhead won't count in terms of overall length, due to autotomated tail but had quite impressive girth (which I'm told is what counts most ).



Steve Langham - Chairman    
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group
Back to Top
xopher View Drop Down
New Member
New Member


Joined: 18 Feb 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote xopher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2012 at 4:40pm
A very late response! This is the longest (but perhaps not the largest) slow worm I've encountered. For comparison, the canon lens back measures exactly 70mm across and I measured the slow worms total length at 46-47cm. I do not handle any reptiles, so I will accept that there may be an error in the measurement.

Taken very early in 2009 at Allerthorpe Common, south of York.


Back to Top
Vicar View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1184
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vicar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2012 at 5:14pm
According to the very useful http://serpwidgets.com/main/measure2, it reckons 46.26cm.

Steve Langham - Chairman    
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group
Back to Top
Liz Heard View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Location: South West
Status: Offline
Points: 1429
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2012 at 6:02pm
Originally posted by Matt Harris Matt Harris wrote:

In answer to a request from a colleague, does anyone have any documented evidence of the largest size(TL) attained by a Slow-worm in the UK? And also has any research been conducted on the Slow-worms of Steep Holm and Flat Holm, which are reported to be larger than their mainland counterparts?



Thanks in advance,



Matt


hi Matt.

i visited SH awhile back hoping to discover for myself The Land Of The Giants. disappointingly it rained heavily all day and although i found the species, i saw nothing unusual.

however, on the Visitor Centre wall there was a poster and 2 pix of a male which the accompanying blurb claimed was the largest "old stumpy" ever found in the uk.
i took pix of the pix.

i cant post links for sh*t but my RAUK field report is 'ere if you want a look;

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/steep-holm-field-report_topic3368.html

cheerz, ben
Back to Top
xopher View Drop Down
New Member
New Member


Joined: 18 Feb 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote xopher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2012 at 8:15pm
Originally posted by Vicar Vicar wrote:

According to the very useful http://serpwidgets.com/main/measure2, it reckons 46.26cm.


Great widget! Okay, so not going to break any records but I'm happy with more than 18 inches; I doubt I'll ever find a longer one!
With Kind Regards...

Chris
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.06
Copyright ©2001-2016 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.