Look what the cat dragged in (completely unharmed)

[Laura]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/slowworm.JPG

[MasSalvaje]

Nice catch! Am I right in assuming that is a legless lizard?

-Thomas

[Laura]

Tis indeed! Lovely little slow worm. My female cat has a thing for them it would seem, this is the 4th one she has presented me with. She's very gentle with them strangely enough, I don't think she knows what to do with them!

[infernalis]

bring them to you ;)

[Laura]

Haha apparently so! Makes a nice change from her putting worms in my bed :(

[guidofatherof5]

Nice looking Anguis fragilis
http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/slow_worm.htm (http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/slow_worm.htm)

[drache]

it looks like it's got a lot of tail, so your cat must really be gentle
it's looks just like the ones where I grew up

[Laura]

Yeah it was totally fine, my garden backs on to a woods so no doubt she came across it sunning itself somewhere and decided it would be an excellent gift for the family. I would love to know where abouts she gets them from as I can't see her carrying them very far.

[ConcinusMan]

Could be right outside your door. I can imagine that like the CA legless lizards I am familiar with, often spend wet spells, or winters under the protection of man made buildings or natural rocky areas with sandy soil.

One could live right under your nose and you'd never see it. The cat however, notices even the slightest movement in loose soil.

Heavy rain can flood their safe sandy areas and drive them out in the open where a cat with a sharp eye could snag one up.

[Laura]

Hmm would make sense, we had a bit of rain the past couple of days but now it has really warmed up, they're all probably roaming around. Hopefully they'll take some of the MANY snails with them.