A rare form of lizard was spotted in Cheltenham Town Centre last Monday. The slow-worm was far away from its natural habitat and should have been hibernating this time of year. They are still quite common, but the number of slow-worms are declining.
The director of the Wildlife Trust has called for the public to help protect the species. Colin Studholme said that the public could help the slow-worm by making the corner of your garden a little messy because they love this type of habitat. The Slow-worm is quite small but they can grow up to 12 inches and are common in the Cotswolds.
The legless lizard normally hibernates from November to February, as it’s too cold for them, so seeing them in January is definitely very odd.
This lizard is a friend of the garden so if you’re someone with a green thumb, they will eat those pesky slugs and prevent your plants from being eaten. Colin encourages the public to do what they can do in their garden to help the reptile.
