AN encounter with a slow worm (Anguis fragilis) is always a pleasant experience for me, as they are gentle creatures that hang about long enough to allow you to have a really good look at them. Saying that, however, the slow worm can move quickly if alarmed, retreating backwards or forwards into its burrow or loose vegetation.
This fascinating creature is actually a lizard that, over time, has evolved to not need legs, giving it a snake-like appearance. This led to the name ‘deaf adder’ and means that, sadly, they’re often killed out of ignorance. An endearing trait of being a lizard is that, when you look into their small eyes—unlike the death stare of a snake—a slow worm will give you a knowing blink. Common throughout the British Isles, with the exception of Ireland, slow worms are yet another species in steady decline, despite having been protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (as have all our reptiles) from intentional killing, injury and selling since 1981.
Denne historien er fra September 23, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 23, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
