Nuimh

The Nuimh is a species of legless lizard. It is a burrowing lizard, spending much of its time hiding underneath objects. They are one of the few species of reptile which gives live birth. They have relatively small eyes, can blink and have visible ears.

The skin of a Nuimh is smooth, with scales that do not overlap one another. They have the ability to automize, meaning that they have the ability to drop their tails to escape predators by breaking one of their tail vertebrae in half. Their tail thrashes around to distract the predator while the Nuimh escapes. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length and usually looks disfigured.

These reptiles are mostly active during the twilight and occasionally bask in the sun, but are more often found hiding beneath rocks and logs. They are carnivorous and, because they feed on slugs and worms, they can often be found in long grass and other damp environments.

Adult Nuimh grow to about 50cm long and are known for their long lifespans, living about 30 years in the wild.

Environmental Adaptation
The Nuimh is a species which goes through complete triannual physiological change, depending on the season.

Their seasonal changes are purely based on camouflage to aid hunting. In summer, the Nuimh adopts a dark brown with red colour on their scales with red on their underbelly. Between summer and winter they are most well camoflauged as their scales don a light brown colour, which hides them among the earth. In winter, their colours fade to a white, which aids them with hiding in snowy terrain.