slow-worm
Serpentine but legged-ancestor
A slow-worm is a legless lizard native to Europe and western Asia, often mistaken for a snake.
Despite the name, it moves with reasonable speed when alarmed.
Slow-worms are harmless, feeding mainly on slugs and snails, and are welcomed by gardeners: We found a slow-worm under the compost heap.
Plates or weighing devices
- elongatedStretched beyond usual dimensions
- slenderThin and graceful
- limblessWithout arms or legs
- forked-tongueDeliberately deceptive in speech
eyelids · smooth · shiny · bronze · copper · golden · metallic · sleek
Scaled reptile order
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
- reptileCold-blooded scaled vertebrate
- ectothermicTemperature set by surroundings
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
vertebrate · wildlife · fauna · biodiversity · naturalist · zoology · classification · endemic
Glide smoothly, sinuously
- glideMove with effortless continuity
- wriggleTwisting, snakelike movement
- undulateMove in waves
- crawlMove slowly, low
serpentine · sinuous · burrow · creep · coil · flex · ground-level · secretive
Cultivated plant area
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- hedgerowLinear shrub boundary
- heathlandOpen shrubby wilderness
- meadowGrassy field for grazing
undergrowth · rockery · burrow · ground-dwelling · shelter · refuge · countryside · allotment
Kept from harm
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- decliningDecreasing in strength
- surveySystematic data collection
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
refugia · sanctuary · preservation · ecology · population · beneficial · pest-control
scales
Plates or weighing devices
forked-tongue · eyelids · smooth · shiny · bronze · copper · golden · metallic · sleek · flexible
squamata
Scaled reptile order
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
- reptileCold-blooded scaled vertebrate
- ectothermicTemperature set by surroundings
cold-blooded · vertebrate · wildlife · fauna · biodiversity · naturalist · zoology · classification · endemic · native
slither
Glide smoothly, sinuously
crawl · serpentine · sinuous · burrow · creep · coil · flex · ground-level · secretive · nocturnal
garden
Cultivated plant area
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- hedgerowLinear shrub boundary
- heathlandOpen shrubby wilderness
meadow · undergrowth · rockery · burrow · ground-dwelling · shelter · refuge · countryside · allotment · churchyard
protected
Kept from harm
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- decliningDecreasing in strength
- surveySystematic data collection
monitoring · refugia · sanctuary · preservation · ecology · population · beneficial · pest-control
slow-wormsnake
Limbless scaled reptile
grass snake · adder · viper · serpent · cobra
slow-wormgecko
Climbing lizard with toe pads
iguana · monitor lizard · chameleon · bearded dragon · frilled lizard
slow, slower, slowest, slowly, slowness, slows, slowed, slowing, worm