Slow Worm Conservation and Welfare

Slow worms are legless lizards that face significant welfare threats from habitat loss, predation by domestic cats, and accidental human harm.

Key Facts

Slow worms are reptiles, not worms or snakes, and are fully protected under UK law
They can live for over 30 years and play an important role in controlling garden invertebrates
Domestic cat predation is a significant cause of slow worm injury and death in suburban areas
They are often accidentally harmed during garden maintenance including strimming

Welfare Considerations

Slow worm welfare is significantly impacted by domestic cat predation, which causes injury even when cats do not kill their prey. Slow worms that escape from cats often sustain bite injuries that become infected or prevent normal feeding. Garden management activities including strimming, mowing long grass, and rotovating soil injure slow worms when they are sheltering in vegetation or soil. Simple precautions including checking vegetation before cutting and keeping cats indoors during peak reptile activity periods can meaningfully reduce these welfare harms. Providing refugia such as corrugated metal sheets creates monitoring opportunities and protected sheltering sites.

What You Can Do

Check for slow worms and other wildlife before strimming or mowing long vegetation
Keep cats indoors during warm periods when slow worms are active
Create refugia in your garden using corrugated metal sheets or roofing felt on bare soil
Report slow worm sightings to local recording groups to support distribution monitoring