Slow worm?

[chris]

Found a *load* of these on my plot today:



All different shapes, sizes (well, fat vs skinny, vs long vs short).. some darker with stripes. Thought one was a stick, until I picked it up and it wrapped around my hand. Cue a bit of swearing, much to the disgust of someone walking past with their keeps (oops). Almost messed myself!

[Jeanied]

Welcome to the wonderful world of allotments, Chris!
Yes indeed that is a slow worm. The small ones are babies, the fat ones are pregnant females - the young ones and females have darker markings on their sides and the males are a rather handsome metallic colour with much less shading.
All are protected so look after 'em!

[Glutton4...]

Awwwww Slow worms are lovely! They will wrap themselves round your hand for the warmth. They have such lovely little cuuuuute faces, and will happily watch you watching them! They are Lizards actually! Wish I had some!

[chris]

Aye thought they were, I just moved them to the plastic sheeting I moved (they were all under there).. If I'm not mistaken they munch on slugs, so decided to move them out of the searing heat (though the biggies slid off under the sheeting anyway) - so they're ok in my book! Interesting creatures to look at mind.

[Flummery]

Wonderful! Our allotment site has grass snakes and today I went with our local Natural History Society to Allerthorpe (just south-ish of York) and we saw loads (maybe 6 or 7) of adders!

[charliesunday]

My dad dug up a nest of these when helping me to dig over a bed on our allotment lat year - scared the bejesus out of him! Luckily I'd seen some the week before (and had my freak-out then ) so could act really blasé about them. I'm quite fond of them now, they're really interesting to watch.

[w33blegurl]

We also have a load on our allotment. There seems to be a nest under the tarp at the botom of my plot - I was thrilled as I've never seen one before and my 2 year old was beside himself to have a "snake" on his hand!

[Comfreyfan]

We're lucky enough to have them in the garden, love 'em. There were 2 very intertwined on the grass when I wanted to cut it one day, so I lifted them into a bucket while I mowed the lawn, did the edges, tidied up and then lifted them back onto the grass - didn't seem to disturb them at all, I was impressed!!

[mrbadexample]

Beautiful. I'm jealous. The old fella used to find these in his compost heap all the time in Kent. I'd be well chuffed to find some in mine.

I'm surprised you managed to pick one up so easily though; from what I remember they are quite undeserving of the name "slow".

[FionaH]

There were a couple in my compost bin yesterday, they like the heat.
They are lovely but not when the cat leaves em under my computer chair! Thankfully she is getting on a bit and hasn't done that for a couple of years now