Anguis
Sign in to saveSlow worms (also called blindworms and hazelworms) are a small genus (Anguis) of snake-like legless lizards in the family Anguidae. The genus contains five extant living species, including the common slow worm (A. fragilis), the eastern slow worm (A. colchica), the Greek slow worm (A. graeca), the Peloponnese slow worm (A. cephalonnica), and the Italian slow worm (A. veronensis). There are also known fossil species.
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Description
- Morphology
- Habitat
- Diet
- Protected status
- Classification
- Extant species
- References
- External links
Slow worms (also called blindworms and hazelworms) are a small genus (Anguis) of snake-like legless lizards in the family Anguidae. The genus contains five extant living species, including the common slow worm (A. fragilis), the eastern slow worm (A. colchica), the Greek slow worm (A. graeca), the Peloponnese slow worm (A. cephalonnica), and the Italian slow worm (A. veronensis). There are also known fossil species.
==Description== Slow worms are typically grey-brown, with the females having a coppery sheen and two lateral black stripes, and the males displaying electric blue spots, particularly in the breeding season. They give birth to live young, which are about long at birth and generally have golden stripes.