Wildlife

Slow Worm Welfare in Gardens and Grassland

Slow worms are legless lizards — not snakes — that play an important role in garden and grassland ecosystems, with welfare impacted by strimming, domestic cats and habitat loss.

Key Facts

Slow worms are lizards that have evolved to be limbless — not snakes
Can live over 30 years in the wild — among the longest-lived small reptiles
Feed on slugs, earthworms and small invertebrates — valuable garden allies
Bask under sheets of corrugated iron and log piles in gardens — use artificial refugia readily
Frequently killed by strimmers and mowers — especially females with developing young

Welfare Considerations

Slow worm welfare is threatened primarily by garden and agricultural machinery — strimming, mowing and rotovating directly kills slow worms unable to escape. Domestic cats also catch and kill slow worms that cannot flee quickly. Their habit of basking under debris makes them vulnerable to disturbance. Creating safe refugia away from machinery areas, checking before strimming and keeping cats away from known slow worm areas significantly reduces welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Check long grass and debris before strimming — move slowly moving animals to safety
Create log piles and corrugated iron refugia away from areas regularly strimmed
Manage garden cats to reduce slow worm predation during the active season
Contribute slow worm records to local wildlife recorders and national reptile surveys
Retain undisturbed areas in gardens and farms to support slow worm populations