| Summary Information |
| Living Organisms
/ Animalia / Craniata / Reptilia
/ Squamata
/ Anguidae / Anguis / Species
|
| Alternative Names |
- Blind-worm
- Orvet (French)
- Blindschleiche (German)
|
| Description |
Length:
- Up to 50cm (usually less); usually 35-40cm in Britain.
- Birth 6.5-9.0cm; one year old 15.2-18.0cm, two years old 21.0-23.0mm.B160
- Tail longer than body if intact (55% of total length for males, slightly
less for females).
- Full growth not until at least 7-8 years old.
- Tail frequently broken and does not regenerate well, therefore often
shorter than body in adult.
(B159, B160).
Appearance:
- Long-bodied, limbless lizard, smooth-scaled, rather snake-like, body
stiff compared to snakes.
- Distinguished from snakes by closable eyelids, also by fragile tail.
- (B159)
General description:
- Smooth scales nearly uniform size and shape, blunt head.
- In Britain always 26 scales around body.
- (B160)
Colouration:
- Male generally fairly uniform, brown, grey, coppery or
reddish; sometimes with blue spots.
- Female: Dorsal brown, grey, coppery or reddish with dark
vertebral stripe; flanks and abdomen often dark
- Juvenile: golden/silvery, with dark vertebral stripe,
dark flanks and dark abdomen.
- B159, B160
Variation:
- Variations occur in e.g. proportions and number of scales around body,
also in colouration.
- Peleponnese (southern Greece) individuals average 34 scales around
mid-body (normal in most of range about 30), also very dark flanks, often wavy upper
border on neck, frequently only short vertebral stripe (just behind head) B159
Similar species and distinguishing features:
Distinguished from snakes:
- closable eyelids
- easily-breakable tail
B159 |
| Range and Habitat |
Range:
- Mainland Europe, not southern Iberia;
- Eastwards to Urals, Caucasus, parts of south-west Asia;
- Southwards into north-west Africa;
- Northwards in Scandinavia and Finland to 65°N
- Britain, not Ireland.
(B159, B160).
In Britain:
- Widespread, more abundant in south than north and west rather than east
of England.
- Present on Isle of Wight and Anglesey, not Isle of Man.
- Present in Outer Hebrides.
- (B160).
Habitat:
- Well-vegetated areas with extensive ground cover; usually damp areas.
- e.g. pasture, woodland glades, lush scrubland, heaths, hedgebanks,
railway embankments.
- (B159)
- Dry areas such as heaths, common, open woodland, gardens. Not marshy
areas.B160
|
| Further Information |
Activity:
- Generally secretive, spend much of time in burrows below ground, or under stones, logs
or leaves.
- May be seen in the open in early spring, during the mating season, and in late summer
(pregnant females basking in sun).
- Generally slow moving, but may move rapidly if startled.
- Rarely bite when handled although may discharge contents of cloaca B160
Breeding:
- Ovo-viviparous, bear live young.
- Membrane sometimes ruptured at birth, more usually after several minutes, using a
stabbing motion of the head.
(B159, B160).
Breeding:
- Sexual maturity: usually three years old in males, 4-5
years in females, although sometimes as young as 3 years in females B160
- Mating period: Peak mating period late-April to end
June.
- Considerable and fierce fighting between males in mating season.
- During mating male seizes head/neck of female and bodies are twined
around one another, for prolonged period (hours)
- Young born mid-August to early-September, later if cold
summer, even October; on occasion may be retained within female until the following
spring.
(B159, B160)
Hibernation:
- Mid-October to end February/early March.
- Often in holes in banks and hedgerows, also in piles of leaves or the
bottom of heaps of stone.
- May be found in groups or singly.
(B160)
No of eggs/young:
- Usually 6-12, sometimes more (up to 22 recorded) and as few as four recorded (B159,
B160).
Food:
- Small slugs (particularly Agrolimax agrestis)
- Worms, spiders, insects, larvae, sometimes snails.
- Drink freely.
(B159, B160).
Feeding:
- Poise head over slug, seize suddenly around middle and hold, sometimes chew, before
swallowing. (B160)
Skin shedding:
- At intervals, usually in one piece (B160)
Longevity:
- Recorded up to at least 54 years in captivity (B159, B160)
Predation:
- Snakes, hedgehog, badger, fox, rats, pheasants, partridges, birds of
prey.
- Juveniles may be taken by e.g. sand lizard, frogs and toads.
B160
Organisations (UK Contacts):
Electronic Library
(further reading):
General Legislation:
Individual techniques:
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