Snake?

Hello my gardening lovelies,

I am in central-east Kent and saw this little one in the front garden of the property yesterday.

I saw it (or another one exactly the same) a few weeks ago on the back lawn, it scooted out of the longer grass, made me jump, when I was mowing.

I have never seen anything like this before and wondered if it was a snake, (as I did see it's tongue), rather than an a large worm?

Anyway, so beautiful, just don't want to accidently do anything to hurt it, so am really careful mowing now. Thank you.

 

Probably a slow worm, I believe they have teeth.

 

Oh, thank you @Victoria, that's great. I have heard of a 'slow worm' but thought they were, well worms!

Just Googled slow worms and apparently they are legless lizards, how amazing for Kent! They are a protected species, so will be extra careful when I am mowing in the spring.

Thanks again, learned something new and lovely today

 

I saw one here years ago and it stretched to about 30cm!

 

I think this one was probably near that. This one was moving very slowly, but the one I saw in the back lawn moved like lightning, but then there was a mower heading it's way, so fair enough I suppose

Certainly not what I expected to see in boring old Sittingbourne

 

I found the following and it says 40-50cm so maybe I had a baby! But we did have a live-in snake here once at least a meter in length, a mating pair and babies too, so I guess it was small.

Slow worm | The Wildlife Trusts

 

I get them breeding on my allotment, so see them quite a lot, trouble is the cats kill them if they spot them.
I've got one tiny one living in the filter box of my pond.

I sometimes find the tails, where they have been attacked and let the tail go.

 

I was just reading about them and it said about cats being predators.

We live in a rented place, so we don't have pets, but there are young foxes that come into the front garden (and play with a variety of balls they have obviously stolen from other gardens ) and there is a large ginger cat that often patrols front and back, so I hope my new little friend stays out of the way!

It is really beautiful, and such a lovely surprise

 

Just leave some clutter in the odd corner of the garden.
Old leaves and some sticks or logs if you have got them.
They kind of hibernate in winter and could be looking for some cover.

They seem to like compost bins as often there is some warmth and lots of insects to eat in those places.

 

thank you @pete. We don't have a compost bin, but the front garden is mature and quite large, so will make sure there are some areas is each part with some leave and sticks, as you say, thank you.

Have this weekend earmarked for some garden time, so will keep my eyes peeled and be careful what I disturb

 

Be careful as they may well nest in you compost heap.

 

Thank you @Scrungee

We don't have one here, it is a rental property (moved in in April) and we won't be here that long (hopefully!), but definitely to note for the future, thank you

 

Found half a dozen of these beauties underneath the cover of the compost heap.
Young grass snake

They were 6 to 10 inches long.
Most years I find eggs in the compost heap some hatched some dead and a couple of adults at the bottom of the heap, this year no eggs, no adults just babies.

 

How beautiful @NigelJ

When I buy our own home again, I will definitely have a compost heap, but make sure I am careful with it, I hadn't realised so many lovely creature make them their homes