 |
|
|
Slow Worm Care help needed: |
| Author | Message |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18  View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 02 Sep 2007 Hi, I'm new and I could do with some advice please. I have been keeping 'Tarantulas' for years, on and off, and have kept all manner of inverts, reptiles, amphibians etc... however, the advent of adulthood and a rake of children over the past six years put paid to all that. However, I was in my local pet shop buying food for my spiders when I innocently asked 'anything interesting in?' And was told no, 'well, except for some slow worms.' My heart leapt, I used to hunt for slow worms under corrugated sheets on the local railway embankment as a child and was always fascinated by them and, on an impulse (I know, the worst possible thing to do) I bought all three. I also bought a couple of boxes of small earthworms. My garden is (unfortunately) something of a wildlife sanctuary for slugs and snails, and I am a fisherman so regularly propogate my own worms in several compost bins, so I figure I have the feeding side sewn up. However, I could do with some advive on the following... First the legality. I was told that these were Italian Slow Worms (feel free to move my thread, admin  ) and were therefore perfectly legal to
trade, though I only have the shop's word for this. This also raises another point: I know, from reading several threads on here, that the advice would generally be to release them back into the wild after some time observing, but surely this would then be illegal as they are (supposedly) non-native? More practically, what is the ideal size of viv? I have three slow worms, btw. Substrate and 'decor'? Temperature? Should I provide a hibernation period or simply maintain a temp and let them get on with it? I guess a fairly varied diet of slugs, worms, crickets, mealworms, waxworms etc would be required - do I need to supplement with calcium etc? I'm sure I have forgotten something but any and all advice would be very much appreciated. All your bass are belong to us |
|
GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 02 Sep 2007 Pet related posts in 'Off topic' please You really should not release them in the UK if they are of European origin, this advice would only apply to native slow worms. I certainly hope your local pet shop is not trading in native slow worms - sad they are selling them at all considering you could have quite legally collected a couple from from the wild with the land owners permission.. if of course you did not intend to sell them on Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Hey Gemma. I thought the thread may get booted.
As regards the pet shop selling them... well, the DID tell me that these were Italian and (I presume) captive bred, I really have no way of knowing, unless someone can ID them from the photo. This shows two of the three - I think they are male and female?
The other question I missed was depth of substrate?
Cheers. All your bass are belong to us |
|
GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Well you have a male and female for sure. They like the substrate to be deep enough so they can hide away completely. Keep it dry, slow worms are prone to blisters in captivity if kept on a damp substrate. I don't think the size of vivarium is that important so long as they are not cramped. If you can find some, they love tiny white slugs. If you have central heating you shouldn't need any additional heating, though if the viv is large enough you could try setting up a gradient and seeing if it is of any benefit. I'm pretty sure if you want them to breed you would have to hibernate them, for how long I don't know. If not breeding they will do OK without it. Other than that, hope you realise your in for the longterm, the record for a slow worm in captivity I think was 56 years (and that was an adult when caught) Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Thanks Gemma, I thought I did have a male and a female. I'll try and spot the third this evening to see what he/she is. Would it be problematic if there were two males and a female? I shall buy a new viv this weekend and give them plenty of space and, as you say, provide something of a gradient - as well as more of a choice of habitat... Slugs will NOT be a problem, more's the pity. Do I need to worry about over-feeding? I'm not overly concerned about breeding (although it would be lovely if they did, of course) - after all, what on earth will I do with the young?! argh! Long-term? I like the sound of that! Having more of a background in arachnids and inverts, it would be nice to keep a creature that doesn't pop its clogs as soon as you get attached to it! I'm at work and I just keep looking at the pictures... they are as beautiful as I remember! All your bass are belong to us |
|
Alex2 Senior Member Joined: 16 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 266  View other posts by Alex2 |
Posted: 03 Sep 2007 [QUOTE=shandy]Would it be problematic if there were two males and a female?[/QUOTE] Hi Shandy, Yes, you can certainly expect problems if you have 2 males in the same vivarium. Don't be fooled by their gentle nature, 2 males (especially when in breeding condition) will fight quite violently, and judging by your picture the male already has a few scars from previous rucks. If you pop a picture up of all 3 myself or a fellow forum member will tell you what you've got. |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Ahem... You are not going to believe this, but I was just checking the tank to try and judge the sex of the third slow worm when I spotted... a baby. Two babies. Three. I have put the lid back the viv, dimmed the lights and left them alone. Bugger. BTW, I think it's a male and two females... I don't really want to disturb them too much at the mo though... All your bass are belong to us |
|
GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Probably best to transfer the babes to a small container like an ice cream tub with ventilation where you can keep an eye them! Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Will do. I didn't want to disturb them this morning, so it was off to the gym and then straight to work... is there a danger of the adults eating the young? I will be home before evening, which is when they seem to be most active. Best food? Is there anything commercially available that I can get ordered today? Talk about dropping myself in at the deep end. Impulses, eh?! All your bass are belong to us |
|
GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Tony (b armata) has mentioned an adult male that eats its own, I wouldn't take the risk! Feeding the little ones, well you might try micro crickets, but tiny worms are your best bet if you can get them. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
|
st rick Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 141  View other posts by st rick |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 I have heard that some Slow Worms will take meal worms very readily and these are cheap and readily available - but I have also heard other captive Slowies won't touch them, so worth a go. What amazing luck with the babies If you wanted to offload them I could be interested in helping you out. I have been considering watching Slow Worms at closer quarters for a while now, but personally dislike the idea of removing them from the wild. I wouldn't go mad on the Viv. There seems to be a good choice of plastic containers in the shops and markets right now for some reason. Only this afternoon I was checking out a transparent plastic clothes storage thing which was shallow but long and wide - ideal for Slow Worms that would appreciate floor space but don't need room to climb. I believe they're not fantastic escape artists either, but I'm willing to stand corrected on that one.
|
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Thanks Gemma. Yes, I separated the young out (there were 11 of them!) into an old pet pal that I had in the loft. I will sort out more suitable permanent accommodation at the weekend! Hi St Rick. Yes, I guess it was amazing luck, really. Although I do feel that I am running before I can walk!  It may well be the case that I will need to
find good homes for the young and I will post on here if I do - although for now, I want to make sure that they feed etc. Keep you posted! Thanks all for the advice. All your bass are belong to us |
|
Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Does anyone here actually have first-hand experience of slow-worms taking any insect species? I've heard friend-of-a-friend type rumours that they'll take mealworms, crickets, etc., but the ones I've kept in the past only ever took slugs or worms, despite being offered various other things. I have personally fed newborns on small earthworms, small sections of slightly bigger earthworms, and tiny slugs. It would be interesting to know if they'll take whiteworms, as those are dead easy to breed in large numbers. |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Hi Caleb, I put a few crickets in with the adults (pre-birth) as well as a handfull of earthworms, and although there are still a few wandering around the tank, there are definitely fewer than were originally put in! Bear in mind that I took the adults out temporarily last night whilst I went through the viv looking for the young, and therefore went through the substrate etc with a finetooth comb, I can be fairly certain that a couple have indeed been eaten. Although I haven't actually witnessed this. All your bass are belong to us |
|
Steg Member Joined: 07 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 10  View other posts by Steg |
Posted: 13 Sep 2007 I don't know abotu anybody else, but I tend to find the baby slowies in the wild hiding under and around ants nests. Maybe set up an ant farm?
|
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 25 Sep 2007 Bit of an update. The other female has now given birth...
All your bass are belong to us |
|
tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572  View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 25 Sep 2007 are you having any luck finding good homes for them all? tim |
|
shandy Member Joined: 02 Sep 2007 No. of posts: 18 View other posts by shandy |
Posted: 26 Sep 2007 I've not tried, tbh. Thought I should try and feed them up a bit... At this rate, though, I am going to have to! Watch this space. All your bass are belong to us |
- Slow Worm Care help needed |
No, I have no intention of releasing them into the wild, as I intimated. I also appreciate the unwise course of action in purchasing them at all... I think it was a middle-aged attempt at regaining the Enid Blyton glory days of my youth...
