Peloponnese slow worm (Anguis cephallonica)

Short answers

Peloponnese slow worm: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×50 cm for 1–2 animals.

Peloponnese slow worm: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 20–26 °C, basking spot 26–30 °C (small, half-shaded basking spot), at night 14–18 °C.

Peloponnese slow worm: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB not essential (secretive and crepuscular), weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1) beneficial.

Peloponnese slow worm: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: probably 20–30 years in captivity.

Peloponnese slow worm: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

20–26 °C

Night temperature

14–18 °C

Basking spot

26–30 °C (small, half-shaded basking spot)

Humidity

55–75 % (a humid and a dry zone)

UVB

UVB not essential (secretive and crepuscular), weak UVB (Ferguson zone 1) beneficial

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×50 cm for 1–2 animals

Substrate

A deep, loose humus and sand floor with leaf litter, moss, stone slabs and flat hides (slightly damp)

Feeding

Food

Slugs, earthworms, small insects, isopods, spiders

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

30–50 cm total length (sometimes stockier and more contrastingly marked than the western forms)

Life expectancy

probably 20–30 years in captivity

Origin

Greece, endemic to the Peloponnese (genetically the most distinct Anguis species)

Protection status

Strictly protected (Bern Convention / EU law). In Germany European reptiles count as specially or strictly protected – only captive-bred animals with proof of origin, registration required, no taking from the wild

Brumation

A winter rest is essential, matching the Mediterranean climate: about 2–3 months at 6–10 °C, frost-free

Cohabitation

Group or pair housing is possible: like other Anguis species little territorial behaviour is known, and a small group works in a large, structured terrarium; avoid overstocking.

Notes

Very rare in captivity; the figures are derived from the slow worm complex with an adjustment for a Mediterranean climate (a little warmer, a shorter winter rest) – and are partly uncertain. The most basal, clearly distinct species in the genus. Live-bearing.

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Related species

• Slow worm (Anguis fragilis) – Intermediate
• Italian slow worm (Anguis veronensis) – Intermediate
• Eastern slow worm (Anguis colchica) – Intermediate
• Madrean alligator lizard (Elgaria kingii) – Intermediate
• Asian glass lizard (Dopasia gracilis) – Intermediate
• Hart's glass lizard (Dopasia harti) – Intermediate
• California legless lizard (Anniella pulchra) – Intermediate
• Moroccan glass lizard (Ophisaurus koellikeri) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Peloponnese slow worm (Anguis cephallonica) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×50 cm for 1–2 animals), substrate (A deep, loose humus and sand floor with leaf litter, moss, stone slabs and flat hides (slightly damp)), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.