Agreed but there is a visible difference when it is simply a question of an ID as per the OP's original query. As I have discovered over the years, you can also make good use of old rubber doormats, excess Butyl from pond lining and even the thicker type of windbreak/shading material to offer a good spot for them. My lot breed successfully in an overgrown corner under a huge old Ash Tree - with their black mats, logs and weedy patch, they seem happy. They then spread further out into the garden as the year progresses.
Be aware that if they are grabbed by the dog for instance, slow worms and other lizards can shed their tails as an emergency distraction, enabling them to escape. The tail can go on moving! I think they can regrow some more tail, but not as big as the old one.
@DorsetDave Especially for you - a fully grown female (can be 1/3 larger than the male!). This bonny lassie was basking in a sunny spot neath a firwood [Austria]. Absolutely lovely to have them 'reside' in your garden - I've only ever had 'migrant' ones passing through my mid-terrace SW Wales garden, as yet! Enjoy!!
Posts
As I have discovered over the years, you can also make good use of old rubber doormats, excess Butyl from pond lining and even the thicker type of windbreak/shading material to offer a good spot for them.
My lot breed successfully in an overgrown corner under a huge old Ash Tree - with their black mats, logs and weedy patch, they seem happy. They then spread further out into the garden as the year progresses.