Following an Ecology survey, that identified the presence of slow worms and lizards, on a site to be developed by Wm Morrison Supermarkets in Exeter, a successful operation to ‘trap, capture and relocate’ the slow worms has been successfully completed prior to them hibernating. With the help of the Local Authorities Parks Department a suitable home was identified approximately 2 miles from their existing habitat.
What are Slow Worms?
Slow Worms look superficially like snakes, but are actually semi-fossorial (burrowing) legless
lizards spending much of the time hiding underneath objects. The skin of the varieties of slow
worm is smooth with scales that do not overlap one another. Like many other lizards, slow worms autotomize, meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails in order to escape predators. Slow Worms can grow to a total body length of 45 cm but 30-40 cm is more typical.
Legislation relating to the slow-worm
Slow-worms are protected against killing, injuring and sale under UK legislation:
Bern Convention 1979: Appendix III
Wildlife & Countryside Act (as Amended) 1981: Schedule 5
Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW 2000)
No comments:
Post a Comment