Editing Common slow worm (section)

{{short description|Species of legless lizard}}
{{Redirect-multi|3|Slow-worm|Slowworm|blindworm|the genus|Anguis}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Anguidae.jpg
| taxon = Anguis fragilis
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Agasyan, A. |author2=Avci, A. |author3=Tuniyev, B. |author4=Crnobrnja-Isailović, J. |author5=Lymberakis, P. |author6=Andrén, C. |author7=Cogălniceanu, D. |author8=Wilkinson, J. |author9=Ananjeva, N.B. |author10=Üzüm, N. |author11=Orlov, N.L. |author12=Podloucky, R. |author13=Tuniyev, S. |author14=Kaya, U. |author15=Nettmann, H.K. |author16=Böhme, W. |author17=Sterijovski, B. |author18=Vogrin, M. |author19=Corti, C. |author20=Pérez Mellado, V. |author21=Sá-Sousa, P. |author22=Cheylan, M. |author23=Pleguezuelos, J. |author24=Tok, V. |author25=Sindaco, R. |author26=Borczyk, B. |author27=Schmidt, B. |display-authors =3 |year=2021 |title=Anguis fragilis |page=e.T47113126A744263 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T47113126A744263.en |access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| range_map = Anguis fragilis distribution (countries only).png
| range_map_caption = Range of ''A. fragilis''
}}

The '''common slow worm''' ('''''Anguis fragilis''''') is a species of [[legless lizard]] native to western [[Eurasia]]. It is also called a '''deaf adder''', '''blindworm''', or regionally, a '''long-cripple''', '''steelworm''', and '''hazelworm.''' The "blind" in blindworm refers to the lizard's small eyes, similar to a [[blindsnake]] (although the slow worm's eyes are functional). The common slow worm, i.e. the species ''Anguis fragilis'', is often called simply "slow worm", though all species of the [[species complex]] comprising the genus ''[[Anguis]]'' are also called "slow worms".

Common slow worms are [[fossorial|semifossorial]]<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/BIE/BIE_docs/ms_07-49.pdf| title=Feeding state and selected body temperatures in the slow worm| volume=18| pages=59–62| journal=Herpetological Journal| year=2008| access-date=2009-06-03| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617154220/http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/BIE/BIE_docs/ms_07-49.pdf| archive-date=17 June 2009| url-status=dead}}</ref> (burrowing) [[lizard|lizards]] that spend much of their time hiding underneath objects. The skin of slow worms is smooth, with scales that do not overlap. Like many other lizards, they [[autotomy|autotomize]], meaning that they have the ability to shed their tails to escape predators. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length. In the UK, slow worms are commonly encountered in gardens and [[Allotment_(gardening)|allotments]], where they can be encouraged to enter and assist in the removal of pest insects by placing black plastic or providing places to shelter such as piles of logs, corrugated iron sheets, or tiles.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vernon |first1=Jean |title=How can I help garden slow worms? |url=https://www.richardjacksonsgarden.co.uk/can-i-help-garden-slow-worms/ |website=Richard Jackson Garden |access-date=26 July 2022 |date=24 July 2019}}</ref> On warm days, one or more slow worms can often be found underneath these heat collectors. 

The name "slow worm" is only [[Folk etymology|contaminated by]] the word "slow". In Middle English, it was written "slowurm", from Old English "slāwyrm", where ''slā-'' means 'earthworm' or 'slow worm' and ''wyrm'' means "serpent, reptile".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Slowworm|encyclopedia=[[The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]]|year=2017|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=slowworm}})</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Anguis fragilis|url=https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species.php?genus=Anguis&species=fragilis|access-date=2021-04-07|website=The Reptile Database}}</ref> It is related to the Norwegian [[wikt:slo#Norwegian Nynorsk|slo]] or Swedish [[wikt:ormslå|ormslå]], of same meaning.