Is this a baby grass snake?

[will]

It's about 6 inches long with a back that looked like gold leaf in the sun.

Is this a baby grass snake?

Is my wife correct when she says that grass snakes are actually worms? They look much cooler than any worm I've ever seen!

[Summer House]

Hi Will,

This looks to me like a Slow Worm not a Grass Snake. The Slow Worm is a legless Lizard and not a snake.

We only have 3 snakes in this country, the Grass Snake, the Smooth Snake and the Adder or Viper this is the only poisonous snake but will only bit if picked up or sat on and the venom is not very strong. There are no snakes in Ireland (maybe they have more sense) which the Irish thank St. Patrick for, Scotland mainly have the Adder.

Britain also only has 3 Lizards the Common Lizard, Sand Lizard and the Slow Worm or Blind Worm (is neither blind nor a worm). The Slow Worm grows to about 18in long it has eyelids were as a snake has none which it can open and close it also has a fleshy tongue unlike the snake with a forked one and ear openings. It lives in quiet damp places woodland borders, hedge banks or churchyards and hides under logs and stones not very easy to find. If you catch hold of one by the tail you will find that all you are holding is a bit of tail, as it has the ability to break of bits of tail to escape which then grow back when it has made it's escape and lying under it stone.

Your wife is wrong to think that Grass Snakes are worms. Have you ever seen a worm eat a frog? A task a Grass Snake can cope with quite easily.

I hope this will be of some help.

Summer House

[will]

Most informative, thank you.

I will point out to her that they eat frogs (which she hates) and that it is most shiny and beautiful so therefore a beast to enjoy.

W

[Neil Bromhall]

Hi Will,
You lucky chap.
You have a slow worm (Latin name Anguis fragilis) which is a legless lizard.
They have no legs so not to be confused with your type of legless.

They are not that common. They like undisturbed damp condition and logs to hide. They can be found under rocks and like to come out and bask in the warm sunshine
They eat slugs, so they are good to have in a garden.