Are these slow worms ?

[harryabbott]

My garden seems to have a good poulation of small snakes and what I think are slow worms. I am finding the slow worms when I am digging. yesterday I took out a small tree which wasn't doing to well and there in the compost type material it had been originally potted up in was an animal that at first looked like a worm, even in colour, but it jumped wriggled arched its back and was generally way too lively for a worm.It also seemed to have a tiny head with minute eyes but unfortunately I didn't have my own glasses with me (as I always loose them in the garden) so I couldn't see it as well as I would have liked. It was even quite quck in its movements not slow at all. I keep finding these creatures and even had a very small one, about 1.5 inches long, with 4 very fine little legs.
Do these sound like slow worms to anybody else?

Two minutes later after the slow worm I moved a rock and there was a little snake about 4 inches long which was very fiesty, striking at anything even the stone I had just rolled away from it! Obviously it had seriously bad eyesight!!

I feel really lucky to have all these things in my rather wild garden.

[clive]

Hi Harry

Probably iberian worm lizards.
http://www.wildsideholidays.com/natural/reptiles-and-amphibians/110-iberian-worm-snake-blanus-cinereus.html

[harryabbott]

Thanks for that Clive and yes that is exactly what it was.
 The photo in the link of the young animal is exactly what I had.
We seem to have lots of them and they vary very much in colour so I wonder am am catching two different species of animal.
As I said , in the previous post, I did have one little olive coloured critter with minute/fine legs and other larger ones that had much more distinct head and eyes with no legs (rudimentary or otherwise) and which were not that pinky/purple worm colour but more of an olive brown. Could these be slow worms do you think? Do young slow worms have rudimentary legs which are later lost?
Many thanks clive for your help.
Harry.

[clive]

The ones with the tiny legs will probably be skinks
http://www.wildsideholidays.com/natural/reptiles-and-amphibians/277-bedriagas-skink-chalcides-bedriagai-eslizon-iberico.html

Or...
http://www.wildsideholidays.com/natural/reptiles-and-amphibians/308-western-three-toed-skink-chalcides-striatus-eslizon-tridactilo-.html

These three species (including the worm lizard that is) are around under rocks and in the long grasses across Andalucia.

Clive

[harryabbott]

Thanks again for all of that info Clive and I'll at least know what to look for when I come across the next one . I probably will not be digging much until next winter/spring so they will be left in peace for a while.
Harry.