Can you identify this critter?

sarahchicago · Apr 19, 2023

I nearly stepped on this little guy on my way into Ponte de Lima, Portugal. Can someone identify it? It was only about 12 inches/30 cm long.

(P.s. I checked Ivar’s new suggested title and it used “small animal” instead of critter and added the town name. I kept my original title as it was shorter)

BeatriceKarjalainen · Apr 19, 2023

sarahchicago said:
I nearly stepped on this little guy on my way into Ponte de Lima, Portugal. Can someone identify it? It was only about 12 inches/30 cm long.

(P.s. I checked Ivar’s new suggested title and it used “small animal” instead of critter and added the town name. I kept my original title as it was shorter)

It looks like a slowworm a lizzard that doesn’t have any legs. I saw a lot of them in Spain/Portugal.

Anguis - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Pafayac · Apr 19, 2023

Without viewing its head, its difficult, but it seems to be a "slow worm".

Bradypus · Apr 19, 2023

Yes - a slowworm. There are quite a few living in my garden here in Wales. Harmless and often beautifully coloured with a metallic-looking copper or bronze shine - especially the younger ones.

sarahchicago · Apr 19, 2023

Pafayac said:
Without viewing its head, its difficult, but it seems to be a "slow worm

BeatriceKarjalainen said:
It looks like a slowworm a lizzard that doesn’t have any legs. I saw a lot of them in Spain/Portugal.

Anguis - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Bradypus said:
Yes - a slowworm. There are quite a few living in my garden here in Wales. Harmless and often beautifully coloured with a metallic-looking copper or bronze shine - especially the younger ones.

thanks, all! Unfortunate name for a pretty little thing. Having grown up in Arizona, I have a healthy respect for snakes and lizards. I occasionally saw one of the rare venomous lizards in my area, the Gila (“heela”) monster

BeatriceKarjalainen · Apr 19, 2023

sarahchicago said:
thanks, all! Unfortunate name for a pretty little thing. Having grown up in Arizona, I have a healthy respect for snakes and lizards. I occasionally saw one of the rare venomous lizards in my area, the Gila (“heela”) monster

In Sweden we call them copper snake.

Goyo · Apr 19, 2023

sarahchicago said:
thanks, all! Unfortunate name for a pretty little thing. Having grown up in Arizona, I have a healthy respect for snakes and lizards. I occasionally saw one of the rare venomous lizards in my area, the Gila (“heela”) monster

Ditto for me in Baja. We tell los turistas to watch your step, “keep your ears on” and your hands to yourself till you know the flora and fauna a bit better.

Bradypus · Apr 19, 2023

Goyo said:
Ditto for me in Baja. We tell los turistas to watch your step, “keep your ears on” and your hands to yourself till you know the flora and fauna a bit better.

Very unlikely to meet any very hazardous wildlife on the Caminos. I think I've seen three live vipers in all of my walks and they were trying very hard to vanish. The big impressive predators like wolves and bears do exist on some routes but they are thin on the ground and keep their distance!

K_Lynn · Apr 19, 2023

Bradypus said:
Very unlikely to meet any very hazardous wildlife on the Caminos. I think I've seen three live vipers in all of my walks and they were trying very hard to vanish. The big impressive predators like wolves and bears do exist on some routes but they are thin on the ground and keep their distance!

And yet.... https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/peregrina-bitten-by-snake-near-lintzoain.74803/

Bradypus · Apr 19, 2023

K_Lynn said:
And yet.... https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/peregrina-bitten-by-snake-near-lintzoain.74803/

It can happen but it is remarkably rare. Many bites from the European viper species are "dry" - a warning with little or no venom. A bite should always be taken seriously though and given proper medical attention but it is unlikely to result in long term injuries. Can be very nasty in the short term though. Give them a wide berth.

K_Lynn · Apr 19, 2023

Bradypus said:
Give them a wide berth.

I have a hard and fast rule to stay away from anything with less than 2 legs or more than 4. I am merely suspicious of things with 2 or 4 legs.

Goyo · Apr 19, 2023

Here’s but one source re: creatures to avoid in Spain and its waters…

https://www.thelocal.es/20210813/what-are-the-poisonous-species-in-spain

K_Lynn · Apr 20, 2023

Goyo said:
Here’s but one source re: creatures to avoid in Spain and its waters…

https://www.thelocal.es/20210813/what-are-the-poisonous-species-in-spain

Why did I click that??? So many things with the wrong number of legs!!

Thanks! I knew about the venomous snakes, I did not know about the scorpions or centipedes! I saw some when I lived in Turks and Caicos (including a massive centipede in my roommates bedroom that we had to use a hammer to kill- she also had a scorpion fall of the ceiling and onto her face one night and got bit by another while putting on her shoes) and I do not need them in my life.

Goyo · Apr 20, 2023

K_Lynn said:
Why did I click that??? So many things with the wrong number of legs!!

Thanks! I knew about the venomous snakes, I did not know about the scorpions or centipedes! I saw some when I lived in Turks and Caicos (including a massive centipede in my roommates bedroom that we had to use a hammer to kill- she also had a scorpion fall of the ceiling and onto her face one night and got bit by another while putting on her shoes) and I do not need them in my life.

Yes, scorpions, aka alacranes, are nasty little fellas. And believe it or not, they can “hold their breath” under water for up to 2 days. However, a friend and I timed one at 3 days. We fished it out of the swimming pool with a net, placed it on the deck, et voila ! The little sucker took a deep breath, raised its stingered tail and dared anyone to mess with it. I kid you not. We were stunned

https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/scorpions-breathe-9d663b3b79bb7b0b#:~:text=Some%20species%20of%20scorpion%20can%20live%20under%20water%20for%20as%20long%20as%202%20days.%20They%20must%20hold%20their%20breath%20as%20they%20cannot%20breathe%20under%20water.

WGroleau · Apr 22, 2023

Goyo said:
Yes, scorpions, aka alacranes, are nasty little fellas. And believe it or not, they can “hold their breath” under water for up to 2 days. However, a friend and I timed one at 3 days. We fished it out of the swimming pool with a net, placed it on the deck, et voila ! The little sucker took a deep breath, raised its stingered tail and dared anyone to mess with it. I kid you not. We were stunned

Are you certain it was completely submerged the entire time?

Goyo · Apr 23, 2023

WGroleau said:
Are you certain it was completely submerged the entire time?

Yes. It wasn’t there when we did a surf check. Came back and saw it. It had evidently fallen in and wasn’t wearing its floaties. We spied it, we came and went without disturbing it. It was on the 3rd step down in the pool and didn’t budge the whole time we were there. And alacranes can’t swim, doggie paddle or float. And they can’t climb out of a pool. They sink. And hold their breath. On day 3 we retrieved it and that’s when it awoke… mad as Hell. Later we told a local naturalist friend about it and he confirmed that, yes, scorpions are able to survive underwater for at least a couple of days. Ours was Olympian material no doubt.

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