Colour: changes with age. Young slow-worms are metallic gold-brown on top and brown or black on their sides, they have a dark stripe running down their back. Adult males are dull brown, gold or grey but lack the dark marking; some are marked with a few blue spots. The adult females keep the markings of the young slow-worm (brown or black along the sides and with a stripe down the side).
Diet: Slugs, worms, spiders and snails (which is why slow-worms are often called the gardeners friend).
Distribution: Widespread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
Where to look: Grass and heathlands, gardens and allotments.
Notes: The slow-worm is not a snake but a legless lizard! Slow-worms have evolved without legs as they would only get in the way as they zoom through their underground burrows.
