Anguis fragilis_lizard...w/o legs

[Alfredo]

Hi all,
today after a brief (damn job!) walking here


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I was cleaning up my garden, and as usual I found this little fellow


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his name (as per Linnaeus) is Anguis fragilis, I just call him Beppe


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also if seems a snake, is'nt a snake...infact is a lizard. Legs were "lost" during his evolution.
This little fellow is probably now hunting again worms and similar, if you find another sample please don't kill him, is not venomous at all, it's usefull to control insects proliferations, and could live over 50 years according to recent studies.
Hope jou enjoi,
ciao from Italy
Alfredo

 

[Toddy]

Excellent to see one Thank you for the photos
You're very lucky to have them in your garden.
They seem to thrive on slugs and snails, wish I could encourage them to take up residence in mine.


I went looking for information on them and came across this link on native British reptiles
http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/identification.htm#native

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Tengu]

Slow worms. Delightful creatures.

we have them in my garden

 

[Adze]

Slow worms. Delightful creatures.

I couldn't agree more...

...this one was rescued from a water wheel leet not long after the hatches were opened - lucky slow worm! He was very, very cold!

All warmed up following his dunking and they do look best in their proper place

 

[Alfredo]

"Lucky" is his right name! Note as the color is different in front of mine! Amazing!

 

[JonathanD]

Wonderful creatures. Here's one of the juveniles we saw on Saturday. Amazing colours.

 

[JonathanD]

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his name (as per Linnaeus) is Anguis fragilis, I just call him Beppe



Alfredo

Better change the name to Bepette, Alfredo, that's a lady-lizard you are fondling

 

[Alfredo]

Better change the name to Bepette, Alfredo, that's a lady-lizard you are fondling

it was EXACTELY what I though few hours ago, when I discovered that the black line on the top is typical of females :You_Rock_ ...ok let's name HER Bepette, as kindly suggested from JonathanD

 

[JonathanD]

it was EXACTELY what I though few hours ago, when I discovered that the black line on the top is typical of females :You_Rock_ ...ok let's name HER Bepette, as kindly suggested from JonathanD

Excellent

What other reptiles do you get in your area?

 

[Alfredo]

Excellent

What other reptiles do you get in your area?

From these most easy to see to the most rares:
- lucertola comune (wall lizard)
- rana comune (frog)
- rospo comune (toad)

- orbettino (slow worm)
- salamandra pezzata (alpine salamander, at least I guess it's the correct name)
- biscia comune e biscia dal collare (grass snake)

- vipera comune (viper, adder)

- vipera cornuta (very rare, it's present just in two small areas on north italy)
I post a pic of this last type of Vipera, the others reptiles are really common:


Ciao!
Alfredo

 

[JonathanD]

I was in Italy on a field trip in 2007 looking for the Nose-Horned Viper. The populations seem to be shrinking in recent years which is a damned shame as it is a beautiful little snake. I used to have a captive bred pair many years ago and they were my favourite snakes. Great characters. You get some really nice variants too.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Alfredo]

I was in Italy on a field trip in 2007 looking for the Nose-Horned Viper. The populations seem to be shrinking in recent years which is a damned shame as it is a beautiful little snake. I used to have a captive bred pair many years ago and they were my favourite snakes. Great characters. You get some really nice variants too.

Thanks for sharing.

There are still some Nose-horned Vipers in two small areas, both in North-Italy...anyway they are rares...you're right it's a shame.
What about vipers in UK? Easy to find, or not at all?

 

[paolo]

I was in Italy on a field trip in 2007 looking for the Nose-Horned Viper. The populations seem to be shrinking in recent years which is a damned shame as it is a beautiful little snake.

I have seen the Ammodytes only once, when walking through Valcellina and Vajont valley in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
It's really a beautiful snake.

It's a funny coincidence that in these days I'm receiving spam from some "Carpat Investments group" that sells horned vipers powdered venom

 

[paolo]

Hi all,
This little fellow is probably now hunting again worms and similar, if you find another sample please don't kill him, is not venomous at all, it's usefull to control insects proliferations, and could live over 50 years according to recent

Yes, you're right, it's really easy to find them killed by people that think they're vipers.

Very nice pics Alfredo, thanks for sharing!!

If anyone is interested I can add that here in Italy the common name for this lizard is "Orbettino"

 

[JonathanD]

There are still some Nose-horned Vipers in two small areas, both in North-Italy...anyway they are rares...you're right it's a shame.
What about vipers in UK? Easy to find, or not at all?

I can find them very easily, but then it is my job so have had many years to get my 'eye-in'.

 

[Alfredo]

I can find them very easily, but then it is my job so have had many years to get my 'eye-in'.

Wow, great pics! Are you a biologist? Me, yes, I'm.
PS how about Craghoppers Bear Grylls pants? I have the same model, just sand/black: awesome trousers!

 

[JonathanD]

Wow, great pics! Are you a biologist? Me, yes, I'm.
PS how about Craghoppers Bear Grylls pants? I have the same model, just sand/black: awesome trousers!

I'm a herpetologist. Yeah, they are BG pants. He doesn't get great press here in the UK, but the trousers are the best I've had for this kind of work. Very free movement and light. They are now available in green too. Has to be said, they are my favourite outdoor trousers.

 

[Alfredo]

I'm a herpetologist. Yeah, they are BG pants. He doesn't get great press here in the UK, but the trousers are the best I've had for this kind of work. Very free movement and light. They are now available in green too. Has to be said, they are my favourite outdoor trousers.

Well, they are becoming my favourite too, with my Marmot pants (mor expensives instead).

Bear Grylls is well considered there in UK, or not?

 

[JonathanD]

Well, they are becoming my favourite too, with my Marmot pants (mor expensives instead).

Bear Grylls is well considered there in UK, or not?

His programmes are considered silly over here within the bushcraft community (just do a search on hereto see). They are popular though.

 

[forestwalker]

Wonderful creatures. Here's one of the juveniles we saw on Saturday. Amazing colours.

In Swedish they are called "copper-lizard" (used to be "copper-snake", but the biologists are slowly winning).

Up here we only get Vipera berus AFAICT, but we do have Natrix natrix and Anguis fragilis out by the coast, so with global warming we may get these here as well eventually.