Your reaction should be delight, as slow worms are entirely harmless and a gardener's friend; they eat slow-moving prey like slugs and other garden pests. They are the most likely of Britain's reptiles to be found in gardens but like any damp and boggy place on the edge of woodland or in tufty grasslands.
'Slow worms seldom bite people,' says Mark. 'They can be handled gently without danger if you need to move one or want to reassure a child that there's nothing to be frightened of. ' While they don't tend to bite humans, slow worms do have another important use for their teeth.
Set up a compost heap and leave it to rot down naturally for several months, the warmth from the compost process provides the perfect nest site for slow worms and is also an insulated and protected space for overwintering. Take care when turning or using your garden compost, to avoid unearthing sheltering creatures.
The slow worm is much smaller than a snake and has smooth, golden-grey skin. Males are paler in colour and sometimes sport blue spots, while females are larger, with dark sides and a dark stripe down the back.
They emerge from these at dusk to search for slugs, worms, spiders and various insects. Unfortunately Slow-worms are on the menu for many species. They are eaten by Adders, many species of birds including Pheasants, Hedgehogs, Badgers and domestic cats.
Cats pick up worms by eating their eggs - doubtless accidentally, as no self-respecting feline is deliberately going to consume them! However, over the years, various types of worm have found remarkably clever ways to conceal their offspring from attracting the notice of even the most discerning cat.
Eating worm eggs released in poo
These eggs can leach out into the surrounding environment, for example the soil in your garden, where they can survive for long periods of time. If your cat accidentally eats these eggs, then a new roundworm infection can develop.
Slow worms start to mate around April and May, but cannot actually conceive until June when the females' eggs pass into their oviducts. Although territorial disputes between males are usually settled by scent, occasionally they will fight with each other for possession of females.
How fast is a Slow Worm? A Slow Worm can travel at speeds of up to 0.3 miles per hour.
Earthworms are hermaphrodites, meaning an individual worm has both male and female reproductive organs.
Adding worms to the garden improves the soil and plant health in several ways. Garden worms eat organic matter and fertilize the soil with their castings, or worm poop. Worm castings provide nutrients to plants. When worms for the garden tunnel in the soil, it loosens the soil, allowing water to percolate through it.
It is important to mention compost worms can live in the garden but require a moist environment with plenty of decaying organic matter such as a thick mulch layer to thrive.
Juvenile slow-worms are very thin and are initially around 4cm long. Juveniles have black bellies and gold or silver dorsal sides, sometimes with a stripe running along the length of the body.
Mating Habits
Their mating season takes place in March-May when slowworms emerge from hibernation. They are ovoviviparous and females give birth to 3-20 live young. The gestation period lasts around 3-5 months. In the days leading up to birth, the female can often be seen basking in the sun on a warm road.
Earthworms are essential for a healthy lawn. These invertebrates help improve soil fertility, improve drainage, and encourage root growth.
Earthworms need moisture, so when taken out of the soil, they may live only a few minutes.
The caterpillars of the silk moth feed on mulberry tree leaves, but adult silk moths do not have working mouthparts so they never eat. The silk moths that are kept by humans today are the descendants of a separate wild species of living silk moth. Domesticated silk moths cannot fly, but the wild silk moth can.
Worms are hermaphrodite, which means they have both male and female reproductive cells. They do however, need another worm to reproduce with. Worms lay eggs, which hatch as little worms.
Small earthworms wiggle through the earth at about 0.2 centimeters per second. This works out to about 27 feet per hour. A medium-sized earthworm can go at about one and a half centimeters per second, which is about 185 feet per hour.
Contrary to popular belief, worms cut in half don't actually turn into two new worms. To a biologist, 'worm' refers to many, quite different organisms. The ability to re-grow body parts differs enormously between them, although tails are generally easier to re-grow.
Under normal conditions worm will make around 50 capsules a year, hatching around 200 earthworms, and these worms will become breeders within 3 - 4 months. However worms will limit their breeding to available space and food.
Young worms grow rapidly and are ready to reproduce in about one month. Depending on growing conditions, worms may take up to six months to attain full size.
Ascariasis worm
Ascariasis (as-kuh-RIE-uh-sis) is a type of roundworm infection. These worms are parasites that use your body as a host to mature from larvae or eggs to adult worms.
The answer is yes. Unfortunately, even cats that never venture outside are still at risk for intestinal parasites like tapeworms and roundworms.
The eggs hatch into larvae (young hookworms) and live in the soil. Once in the larval stage, hookworms can invade your cat through contact (penetration through the skin), eating contaminated dirt or soil, or licking fur (cleaning).