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RAUK - Archived Forum - Keeping a pet slow worm

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Keeping a pet slow worm:

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Mirukai
Member
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
No. of posts: 1


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Posted: 02 Sep 2006
Hey guys! I'm new here, and also the new proud owner of a slow worm! I didn't really plan on becoming one, I just saw the poor thing being cornered by one of the cats who live around my area and I'm too afraid to let it go just yet, so I just wanted to know how to really look after a slow worm so I don't do anything wrong. Do they need a special habitat or could you just put in some long grass, compost and a few rocks for them to shelter under? And I've also heard, by reading on these forums, that soil can hold diseases, so would it be a bad idea to have some?

And also, I figured it would be hard for me to find some slugs... so would my slow worm be happy with waxworms and usual earth worms?

And if you guys could help, what gender do you think my slow worm is? I've been able to gender slow worms easily but this one confuses me. It has the dark stripe going down it's back as most females should have, but it has a blue under belly, and I heard that males have blue on them?

Well, if anyone could help with my questions I'd be very greatful!

Thanks~ Miranda

herpetologic2
Senior Member
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
No. of posts: 1369


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Posted: 03 Sep 2006

 

Hi Miranda

the blue colour is basically from the animal coming into slough - losing its old skin - fluid builds up between the old and new skin giving a bluish appearance to the underside.

I would suggest creating a habitat for the slowworm in a garden if you have one and letting it go - as keeping it in captivity would also possibly cause disease -

If you have a garden a compost heap and log pile would provide suitable habitat for the animal. The slowworm likes to eat slugs and I believe it would take earthworms so keeping it a while until it has shed its skin and seems to be more alert would be the best time to release it back into the wild - well in a well established garden

Jon


Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant -
visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife
AGILIS
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
No. of posts: 694


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007


   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
AGILIS
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
No. of posts: 694


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007
HI MIRANDA I WOULLD LET FREE AS THEY ARE NOT VERY GOOD EATING SPECIALY IN BATTER   KEITH  AGILIS39141.5350578704
   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
james4
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2006
No. of posts: 466


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007
AGILIS why do you keep posting blank messages?
http://ukreptiles.proboards55.com
Alex2
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
No. of posts: 266


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007

[QUOTE=james4]AGILIS why do you keep posting blank messages? [/QUOTE]

He's probably just getting the hang of posting I would think. I can't speak for Keith but I'm not very computer savvy, so can understand if he's having problems with these giant calculators :)


AGILIS
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
No. of posts: 694


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007
HI JAMES4 I  DONT UNDERSTAND THE BLANK MESSAGES IS IT  MY OUTDATED SENSE OF HUMOUR THE PROB AS I AM NEW TO BLOGGING BUT NOT REPTILES  .US DINOSUARS  AINT GONNA BE AROUND MUCH LONGER LIKE  THE ENDANGERED REPTILES WE TALK ABOUT REGARDS KEITH HOPE THE SPELLING IS OK
   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
james4
Senior Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2006
No. of posts: 466


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007
agilis i wa politly enquiring willing to offer help.
http://ukreptiles.proboards55.com
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


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Posted: 28 Feb 2007

Hi Keith,

Check the dates of posts, some threads are quite old this thread started

02 September 2006 at 7:51am

So the original poster is unlikely to be watching the thread still

I know this isn't always obvious when you arrive in a new forum, as the top threads seem recent.


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
AGILIS
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
No. of posts: 694


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Posted: 01 Mar 2007
 THANKS TO JAMES & GEMMA  POINTING  MY ERROR AS TO  DATES...YES I HAVENT LOOKED TO HARD AT THE THE DATES PERHAPS THATS WHY I AM MISSING SPOTTING THINGS BETTER GET SOME NEW GLASSES  REGARDS  KEITH

   LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


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Posted: 01 Mar 2007

Hi Keith, everyone does it, I know as I have joined forums made a post and wondered why nobody replied, then realised the thread was 3 years old

 


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Vickie Lizard
Member
Joined: 22 Apr 2007
No. of posts: 6


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Posted: 22 Apr 2007

Do slow worms in captivity need a heating mat?

 


Its always better to ask for forgiveness after, than ask for permission before!!!
st rick
Senior Member
Joined: 26 Apr 2006
No. of posts: 141


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Posted: 22 Apr 2007

No Vickie, they don't.  I would be even be a bit worried about leaving it in the full sun indoors in the kind of weather we've been having just lately.  I know my flat has been getting very hot.  I would not leave it in direct sunlight when you're out but move it to a nice warm place when you want to have a good look at it.

It's a mistake to think reptiles need to be baked all day;  you often see animals suffering in pet stores on account of this view.

I would let her (?) go eventually, but it's not against the law to watch them for a while in captivity.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Suzi
Senior Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
No. of posts: 860


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Posted: 22 Apr 2007
Me and my brother kept one in a very big wooden crate (sides about 18") in the 1960s. The crate was full of what we considered suitable landscaping. We fed it on those little white slugs which we collected nightly in our garden. The crate was kept in a stone barn with no direct sunlight and the slow worm did OK. Perhaps not ideal requirements but we were kids.
Suz
Alan Hyde
Senior Member
Joined: 17 Apr 2003
No. of posts: 1416


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Posted: 23 Apr 2007
The trick with Captive keeping is putting ourselves in the animals position as much as pos.
Often, what an animal wants is not what a zoo or private keeper provides just to please the eye of the viewer.

Most herps are secretive shy animals that like to feel secure and hidden , I've seen tree vipers roll that have been taken from a year in a plastic tub to a full set-up with branches and leaves.
What alot of keepers do not realise is that, if they truelly care about the reptiles well being it can often be a boring pet as they should be left undisturbed as much as pos'
Back in the early 90's I kept on loosing Rhino vipers that were apparently doing very well, they'd just roll for no reason. A friend of mine from Lancaster looked at my set-up and said, "Your killing them through stress , in reality they hate vivs" .
He told me to tub them up on bark chips , keep them fairly cool and pay them no attention whatsoever except for hygiene and feeding. Sure enough they flourish in these conditions , but to the untrained casual viewer this looks cruel as they expect to see the big clear glass fronted viv with all the decor.
Alan Hyde39195.2408333333
O-> O+>
Deano
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
No. of posts: 133


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Posted: 23 Apr 2007

What's the point of keeping them if you can't look at them or show your friends and get them out and play with them? 

Sorry, sarcasm - lowest form of wit.


Deano
Better to be lucky than good looking.
Alan Hyde
Senior Member
Joined: 17 Apr 2003
No. of posts: 1416


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Posted: 23 Apr 2007
Eeeerro Deano

No worries mate, I can be sarcastic too at times

Pretty True, and that's why I said most people can actually find thier captives boring when they keep them truely how the animal would like to be kept .
Of course there are plenty of hardy reptiles like corns and boas that do well in an open exposed viv' , but some of the more delicate species just won't tollerate alot of disturbance.

I do peep at my rhinos but try to keep disturbance to a minimum for their comfort.
O-> O+>
herpetologic2
Senior Member
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
No. of posts: 1369


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Posted: 23 Apr 2007

Yep slowworms do better when they arent pulled around alot - though taking the animals out of their home for health checks etc wouldnt do any harm

though of course slowworms can be easily encouraged into gardens and you can go and find them underneath shelter etc so no real need to keep them indoors.....

 

Jon


Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant -
visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife
Vickie Lizard
Member
Joined: 22 Apr 2007
No. of posts: 6


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Posted: 23 Apr 2007

 Thanks St Rick!

 I`ll be in my garden later, finding those devilish white slugs!

 Thanks for your handy hints too!


Its always better to ask for forgiveness after, than ask for permission before!!!
mandy
Member
Joined: 30 Apr 2007
No. of posts: 3


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Posted: 30 Apr 2007
Hi All,

Needing help as my daughter has rescued an injured slow worm from the garden yeaterday. It looks like it may have been injured by a strimmer or possibly a cat and has a nasty, deep but clean cut from 'ear to ear'.

I'm concerned it may not be able to eat, at least for a while. At the moment it is in a smallish plastic animal carrier - about 25cm x 15cm x 20 high with some grass and dandelion leaves at one end.

Question is what to do - how long can it survive without eating? Should we put some grass clippings / bark chips in?
Any help gratefully received.

Mandy

- Keeping a pet slow worm

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