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Slow worms mating (photo sequence): |
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TiburonSmoke Member Joined: 25 May 2005 No. of posts: 12  View other posts by TiburonSmoke |
Posted: 29 May 2005 One afternoon last week I was fortunate to witness two slow worms mating. They were under a sheet of plywood in a hedgerow that separates a lane from a wheat field. Until now, the plywood had been the home of a nest of voles. I was surprised to find the slow worms there at all, since the stretch of hedgerow, although long, is isolated at both ends by fencing.
I observed the slow worms mating over a period of 20 minutes. During that time, I took more than 130 shots. My presence didn't seem to distract them. The male was intent on copulating and, because his jaws were clamped around her neck, the female was in no position to object.
The mating behavour of slow worms is known to be rough. I have seen territorial battles before, and on several occasions I have been bitten by males, but I have never before had the opportunity to witness copulation. Luckily, I had a camera to hand. I don't know how long the male had had the female gripped in his jaws before I lifted the plywood but, despite her struggles and my presence, he was determined not to let her go. Indeed, I was able to remove various leaves and twigs that were spoiling my view. I wondered if females are always this reluctant to mate, or if my disturbance affected their behaviour. The female writhed slowly for the best part of 20 minutes, with frequent long pauses. The male made frequent adjustments of his grip on her head and neck, but he did not let her go. At times, he seemed to be biting her face, which must have been very uncomfortable. Later, while looking through the photographs, I thought I could see signs of an injury or scarring behind her head.
A couple of times during their contortions, the pair burrowed into the undergrowth. When they emerged, the male still had his jaws clamped firmly around the female's head. In the last few minutes of their mating, the female became more subdued. I noticed that their bodies were gradually becoming more aligned. She seemed to be straightening up. For a while, he continued to hold her down with his weight, but she wasn't struggling nearly as much as she did in the beginning. Gradually, without letting go, the male moved his body until it was parallel with hers. For a time, they were more or less aligned. Then, after a couple of minutes, he loosened his grip on her head. Slowly, he opened his mouth wide. He seemed to be having difficulty letting go. Eventually, her head was free. I saw both their tongues flicker, but I did not get a picture of this. In one frame, you can see his mouth barely open. Then the male did something that puzzled me. I'm not saying that he was nuzzling her, but he gently brushed his face against her face and burrowed his head under hers, thereby lifting her head onto his neck. She did not resist and, for fifteen seconds, she lay with her head resting on his neck.
I don't know how long they would have remained in this position, but either my movements or the flash of the camera startled the female. She shot off into the undergrowth. The male simply lay where he was. I needed to put the plywood down, so I picked him up and gently moved him out of the way. Unusually for a male at this time of the year, he didn't struggle or try to bite me. I think he was too exhausted. I released him and he followed the female's path into the undergrowth.
If anybody has any comments, I would love to hear them.
Teresa in Hampshire
Photos taken at 25th of May 2005, at 5.55pm near Droxford, Hampshire.
               Teresa in Hampshire |
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TiburonSmoke Member Joined: 25 May 2005 No. of posts: 12 View other posts by TiburonSmoke |
Posted: 29 May 2005 Here are two detailed closeups of the mating slow worms. Teresa in Hampshire
Teresa in Hampshire |
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*SNAKE* Senior Member Joined: 16 May 2004 No. of posts: 220  View other posts by *SNAKE* |
Posted: 01 Jun 2005 fantastic loved to have been there paul PAUL SMITH |
- Slow worms mating (photo sequence) |
