Snake or Slowworm?
Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: General
Forum Name: Reporting
Forum Description: Report garden sightings and field days
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5145
Printed Date: 23 Apr 2024 at 9:02am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Snake or Slowworm?
Posted By: chubsta
Subject: Snake or Slowworm?
Date Posted: 17 May 2017 at 5:55am
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Had a surprise visitor to my hedgehog feeding station last night, looks like a juvenile snake to me but what do I know! Anyone fancy an ID even though there are no colour details? |
Replies:
Posted By: will
Date Posted: 17 May 2017 at 6:39am
| slowworm - hedgehog food! |
Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 17 May 2017 at 2:33pm
I did originally think slowworm due to the stumpy tale but it has been years since i saw one and i thought they were 'stockier' than this. Don't fancy his chances much though, had at least 8 different hogs visit the feeder multiple times last night...
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will wrote:Posted By: will
Date Posted: 17 May 2017 at 5:03pm
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def. slowworm - small head, shiny body, small eyes, rather stiff movements (admittedly on a shiny substrate) but a snake would be much more coiled up, sinuous, supple. Looks like a young male, and they can be long and thin, and it does look like he's missing the tip of his tail which would be less likely in a snake (though of course could be lost in a snake due to injury rather than autotomy). Maybe you haven't seen a slowwie for ages precisely because you've got hedgehog city in your garden  |
Posted By: Liz Heard
Date Posted: 24 May 2017 at 9:13pm
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Great post 'Chubsta'! Will's right of course - a struggling slow worm. 
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Posted By: Tom Omlette
Date Posted: 25 May 2017 at 7:34pm
| fascinating! hope he's ok |
Posted By: chubsta
Date Posted: 25 May 2017 at 9:20pm
Well, he hasn't been seen again... Funnily though, i last saw evidence of a slowworm in the garden a couple of years ago when i found the half-eaten remains of quite a large one, i thought at the time that it must have been dropped by a crow or similar but now think it is more than likely to have been lunch for a hedgehog, I guess we will never know but given the hog numbers at the moment there is little chance of the two species not encountering each other here |