50 cm (20") long, and are known for their exceptionally long lives; the slow worm may be the longest-living lizard, living about 30 years in the wild and up to at least 54 years in captivity (this record is held by a male slow worm that lived at the Copenhagen Zoo from 1892 until 1946, the age when first obtained is unknown). The female often has a stripe along the spine and dark sides, while the male may have blue spots dorsally. Juveniles of both sexes are gold with dark brown bellies and sides with a dark stripe along the spine. Predators Predators of A. fragilis include adders, badgers, birds of prey, crows, domestic cats, foxes, hedgehogs, pheasants and smooth snakes. Ecology These reptiles are mostly active during the night and do not bask in the sun like other reptiles, but choose to warm themselves underneath objects such as rocks which have in turn been warmed by the sun. They can often be found in long grass and other damp environments In a 2009 study of a Danish population, the diet of the slow-worm was found to include slugs, snails, earthworms, caterpillars and pill millipedes. Protected status in the UK In the United Kingdom, the slow worm has been granted protected status, alongside all other native British reptile species. The slow worm has been decreasing in numbers, and under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to intentionally kill, injure, sell, or advertise to sell them is illegal. Ireland The slow worm is assumed to not be native to Ireland, possibly arriving in the 1900s. Due to their secretive habits they are difficult to observe and have only been sighted in parts of County Clare, mainly in the Burren region. Evolutionary history Members of the genus Anguis, to which the slow worm belongs, first appeared in Europe during the Mammal Paleogene zone 14, between 43.5 and 41.2 million years ago, corresponding to the Lutetian stage of the Eocene. Remains assigned to the Anguis fragilis species complex are known from the late Miocene onwards. Gallery See also Glass snake References External links Anguis Articles containing video clips Lizards of Asia Lizards of Europe Reptiles described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus