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2019 Slow worms |
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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Another couple in the garden waste pile today, oddly I am only seeing them in the more sheltered part of the garden whereas the sheet which is in sunlight for most of the day hasn't given anything up at all yet.
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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It must be love....
Under this (herpy-themed) kiddies sand pit today.... ... .were these two (plus a couple of last year's young)... |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Neat Ben!
We've had a few killed by cats here this week. Not sure they were caught in my garden, but the cats hang around here if I don't shoo them off.
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Suz
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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Nice! Are the two different colours indicative of male and female, I know very little...
Quite a few here at the moment under the cover each time I look, usually about 6 of different sizes, including just a few inches, so very pleased.
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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More often than not you can tell by the markings yes, but perhaps the best way is by looking at the size and shape of the head - much longer and larger in the male.
Males tend to be more uniform in colour, usually greyish or silvery with a blue belly, whereas females are typically brown or bronze with dark flanks and often with a thin dorsal stripe. The belly is much darker too. |
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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Only May and this pond's getting choked already. First time i've seen a slow worm in (or rather on) it though....
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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Not expecting to see anything i lifted the plastic off the top of the compost heap around 5.30 this afternoon and as i was bunging some fruit scraps in i spotted a solitary adult slow worm. However, in far too much of a hurry and pointing the camera in very dim light, i'm afraid i got the resultant Loch Ness monster/Bigfoot quality of photo! Didn't get a good look at it but a female i think. This late, i would have thought juvenile(s) more likely than an adult. Any updates from where you are Suzi, Chubsta, anyone...?? |
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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Checked mine yesterday with none sighted at all, not really surprising though as the weather turned very cold last week with the first overnight frosts.
One nice thing is that I was speaking to a neighbour about hedgehogs a couple of days ago and he said he has had to stop turning over his compost heap because it is 'full of slow worms'!
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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We've had a lot of dim and wet days, not the best at this end of the year for slowies under covers here. If we get some sun and I'm around I will have a look. Like Chubsta's neighbour I suspect there are plenty hidden!
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Suz
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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We had a short burst of sun here in East Devon this morning so I went out to inspect my covers. Found one small slowie, which I think would be a young of last year.
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Suz
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