Identifier: lifehistoryof00leig (find matches)
Title: The life-history of British lizards : and their local distribution in the British Isles
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Leighton, Gerald (Gerald Rowley), b. 1868
Subjects: Lizards Reptiles
Publisher: Edinburgh : George A. Morton London : Simpkin, Marshall
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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and than in the eastern or northern counties, andin Wales it is found in great numbers in the southernparts. I have been much struck with its rarity insome counties, where the snakes were common, andwhere the viviparous common lizard was plentiful.Such a case is found in the Broadland district ofNorfolk, where one may capture a dozen adders in aday and never see a slow-worm in the same time.In Dorset, on the other hand, where both adders andring-snakes are common, the slow-worm is also plenti-ful. Most counties, however, contain some suitablespots where search will be rewarded. Description.—The general appearance of this lizardis too familiar to need detailed description, and aglance at the illustrations in this book will give anexcellent idea of its postures and attitudes. Greatvariety is seen in size and colour. As the result of alarge series of measurements of specimens taken fromdifferent parts of the country, we may state the aver-age size of a full-grown specimen to be between
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THE SLOW-WOKM, ANGUIS FRAGILIS 29 12 and 15 inches. In making such a measure-ment the observer should carefully examine thetail, to be certain it is all there. Very many speci-mens have lost a portion of the tail, and this can berecognised by the unusually blunt ending of the organin those cases. If the tail measures less than halfthe total length, it has almost certainly been mutilatedat some time or other. In the females about halfthe total length is tail, in males rather more thanhalf the total length, which reminds us that in snakesalso the tail is longer in males than in females. Thespot where the tail begins can be readily recognisedby noting the large anal scale, which is the mostposterior scale on the ventral aspect of the belly. There is no lateral fold in this lizard, nor any foldin the neck region, and, as we have said, no indica-tion at all of external limbs. The whole creature iscovered with very smooth shining scales, which arerounded, not hexagonal. Those on the head ar

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