Can Slow-worms swim? (1 Viewer)

Phil Carter

Well-known member

• May 12, 2009

• #1

I had a slow-worm crossing my pond supported by duckweed, it then forced it's head through the duck weed and "swam" straight down! Is this normal for slow-worms or is it a candidate for a Darwin Award?

Phil

 

Davebutterflyman

Well-known member

• May 12, 2009

• #2

Hi Phil.

As far as i am aware they a quite good swimmers,i saw one individual swimming across a small pond just outside the purbeck hills area in Dorset a few years ago and i know of one a colleague of mine saw on a river near Fordham in Norfolk.

Dave.

 

tacumshin

Tacumshin

• May 12, 2009

• #3

Yes , they are fairly good swimmers when they have to , after hibernating underground for the winter are often seen swimming in springtime.

 

Phil Carter

Well-known member

• May 12, 2009

• #4

Davebutterflyman said:

Hi Phil.

As far as i am aware they a quite good swimmers,i saw one individual swimming across a small pond just outside the purbeck hills area in Dorset a few years ago and i know of one a colleague of mine saw on a river near Fordham in Norfolk.

Dave.

Click to expand...

That's a relief, numbers have been dwindling in the garden recently anyway, I don't want the last few killing themselves!

Phil

 

R

roosmum

Well-known member

• May 12, 2009

• #5

Hi Phil
I saw a slow worm slide into my pond last year, there was a good covering of duck weed so I wondered if it didn't know the water was there.
It swam, very quickly, to the shallows and exited a lot faster than it entered.

 

Jacana

Will Jones

• May 13, 2009

• #6

you're so lucky having reptiles in your gardens! we have none at all in our patch of shropshire, although we do get plenty of amphibians!

 

Keithec

'Green Scum'

• Jun 12, 2009

• #7

I've seen them swim but I think that they can't keep it up for too long - probably only do it when they have to.