A Slow Worm! A What?

Ever since I’ve moved to England I’ve learnt a lot of interesting (and weird) things. The people here think Australia is weird, but the UK has lots of weird things for an Aussie like me, and the latest one is a “Slow Worm”.

Some of you will know that I do scything in my garden to cut the grass. Ok, I know you think that’s weird but it’s good exercise, interesting and a very effective way to keep the grass under control without needing any engines, fuel, smelly fumes and all that stuff.

On Saturday, I was picking up some of the grass that I’d cut to put in my compost piles and I saw something that surprised me. It looked like a huge worm. I thought “wow, I’ve never seen a worm that big before”. Then when I looked more closely, I though it was a small snake. It weirded me out a little. Didn’t seem to be moving and I wondered if it was dead.

You can see it in the grass here where I’ve used the red arrow. Below I have a close up.

Later I told Gloria and Sue (who was visiting for a couple of days) and they said it might be a Slow Worm. A what? I thought. Were they joking? Is there such a thing as a Slow Worm? Sounds like a joke, right?

Well there is such a thing as a Slow Worm – have a look at this article – http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/slow-worm

Amazingly, it’s not a worm or a snake. It’s a limbless lizard. Bizarre!

As I said, UK people think Australia is dangerous and weird with all its strange animals. I’ve never heard of a Slow Worm (or seen one and nearly picked it up accidentally) and they seem pretty weird to me, so I’m not sure who gets the title of the weirdest, the UK or Australia.