As well as the butterflies today at North Cove nature reserve the other notable find was a Slow Worm. In some grassy areas around the reserve the wardens have placed small sheets of corrugated iron on the ground for the express purpose of attracting reptiles, predominantly snakes to rest beneath them. I checked under several of these without finding anything but the next one revealed a beautiful Slow Worm.
Although looking like a snake this is in fact a legless lizard that can be found all over the country but it is not often seen. It is a golden brown colour and it's tail is usually quite blunt and can be shed to distract predators. It can be found in hedgerows and woodland edges as well as gardens where it can grow to 50 cm in length feeding on slugs and insects. It is only active during the warmer summer months and hibernates between October and March and certainly made a pleasant surprise for me today.
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