slow worm query

[Rambling Rob]

Hello,

This slow worm emerged from beside a local cycle track today and leisurely made its way back into cover again, giving time to grab a photo. I should say it was about 25cm long, and looked in fine condition, tongue flicking out.

Any way of telling from this photo if it was male or female?

Thanks, Rob

[Deb London]

If you compare yours with one of similar size in the photo below, I'd saw yours had much darker sides. I think the man said the one in the picture was likely to be male. And females have darker sides. So I'm guessing yours is a female.

[dampflippers]

I've just read that females have a dark line along the top and dark sides, so I would go with female.

http://www.narrs.org.uk/Documents/nr...tion_guide.pdf

[faz]

The female often has a stripe along the spine and dark sides while the male may have blue spots dorsally. Juveniles of both sexes are gold with a dark brown belly and sides with a dark stripe along the spine.

yours looks like a male from the picture

[Dorts]

Typical female, darker below the lateral-line, males are usually a similar colour all over without the demarcation, and may have blue-spots as Faz has said.
Dorts.

[Rambling Rob]

Thanks all for your help with this one.

Thanks dampflippers for the link to the NARRS id guide too - good one.

Rob