A very observant dog walker kindly sent this photo to us of a Slow Worm seen on a path in Leap Valley.

With long, smooth, shiny, grey or brown bodies, slow worms look very similar to tiny snakes. In fact they are legless lizards and are quite harmless.

Although found throughout mainland Britain, they are most common in Wales and south-west England. They are absent from Ireland.

Slow worms like humid conditions and emerge from their hiding places at dusk or after rain to hunt for food. They spend the winter hibernating under piles of leaves or within tree roots.

If attacked by a predator, a slow worm can shed its tail to escape, although it never grows back fully.

Thank you Philip