Slow Worm Welfare in Gardens and Allotments

Slow worms are legless lizards commonly found in gardens that face welfare threats from cats, lawnmowers, and mistaken identification leading to killing.

Key Facts

Slow worms are the most common reptile in many UK gardens
They are legless lizards, not snakes, and are harmless to humans
Cats kill significant numbers of slow worms in suburban areas
They give birth to live young rather than laying eggs
Slow worms can live 30+ years and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act

Welfare Considerations

Slow worms caught by cats suffer severe injury from bite wounds, with high mortality from septicaemia even after apparent escape. Animals injured by lawnmowers suffer acute trauma. Slow worms mistaken for snakes are sometimes killed by people who believe them dangerous. Loss of rough garden habitat from decking, paving, and intensive management removes the microhabitats they require for thermoregulation and invertebrate prey. Slow worms are social and may share hibernation sites, meaning habitat destruction can affect entire local populations simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Keep cats indoors during peak slow worm activity periods in warm weather
Create slow worm refugia from corrugated iron or plywood sheets in gardens
Check under sheets and logs before moving them in summer
Never kill slow worms; they are legally protected
Support rough garden habitat including long grass, log piles, and compost heaps