# Common slow worm (*Anguis fragilis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-slow-worm  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The common slow worm (Anguis fragilis) is a lizard in the family Anguidae, subfamily Anguinae, within the reptile order Squamata. It is a small reptile, with an adult body mass of 10.48 g (from 9.31 to 11.65 g) and a body length of 17.96 cm. Its main foods are gastropoda, larva and worm. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category, and has a lifespan of 54 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9.31 g – 11.7 g |
| Length | 17.7 cm |
| Lifespan | 54 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | gastropoda, larva, worm |
| Habitat | forest |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 – 28 |
| Age at maturity | 2 years – 5 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.5 – 1 |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Squamata
- family: Anguidae
- genus: Anguis
- species: *Anguis fragilis* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Anguis eryx*, *Anguis fragilis fragilis*, *Anguis gamma*, *Anguis orvet*, *Anguis vittatus*, *Dorfia punctata*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the common slow worm?

The common slow worm is a lizard, a reptile in the family Anguidae and the order Squamata.

### How big is the common slow worm?

It has a body length of 17.96 cm and an adult body mass of 10.48 g, with reported values from 9.31 to 11.65 g. It is classed as small.

### What does the common slow worm eat?

Its main foods are gastropoda, larva and worm.

### Is the common slow worm endangered?

No. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the common slow worm live?

Its lifespan is given as 54 years.

### How many young does the common slow worm have?

It has 9 young or eggs per litter or clutch, with 0.7 litters or clutches per year.

### When does the common slow worm reach sexual maturity?

It reaches sexual maturity at 3.8 years, with reported values from 3.0 to 4.5 years.

### Who named Anguis fragilis?

Anguis fragilis was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4
- [SquamBase 1.0 - a dataset of squamate species traits](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.76hdr7t3b), CC0 1.0, 1.0-dryad-v5. Meiri, S. (2024) SquamBase - a database of squamate (Reptilia: Squamata) traits. Global Ecology and Biogeography 33(4): e13812. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13812. Data: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.76hdr7t3b
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Common slow worm (Anguis fragilis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-slow-worm