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shandy
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Joined: 02 Sep 2007
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Posted: 02 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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.


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shandy
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Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



Hey Gemma. I thought the thread may get booted.  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...

 

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.




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shandy
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Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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!




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shandy
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Joined: 02 Sep 2007
No. of posts: 18


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Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Topic: An amazing elephant story...






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shandy
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No. of posts: 18


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Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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...shandy39328.6626157407


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shandy
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Posted: 03 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



I wonder if you good folks could advise on any titles that may be available
covering slow worms? Preliminary searches on amazon etc have yielded no
results.

I'd really appreciate your help on this one.

Many thanks in advance.


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shandy
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Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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?!




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shandy
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Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



Thank you John, I appreciate your help.

Time to get e-baying!

 

 

[EDIT] God bless Amazon! Found and ordered, thanks again John.

shandy39329.1389351852


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shandy
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Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Topic: COMBINING INTERESTS ALL AT oNCE



Blimey! Once is enough for me. Three kids kinda saps the energy when it come to all that!


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shandy
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Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



Dave, thanks!

I'll look out your recommendations too. I do have Chris' 'Lizards of the World' (in fact he is a friend of a friend, so I may have to hit him up for some info!  )

Thanks all, and please do keep the info coming, I really do appreciate it!




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shandy
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Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



Thanks Caleb, I have indeed ordered the Stafford title, but would be really very keen to lay hands on Dave's article, if at all possible.

Is Dave Bird a regular, or should I message him (newbie alert!)




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shandy
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Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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.


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shandy
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Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



Can anyone put me in touch with Dave? I don't know his username...

Thanks!




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shandy
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Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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.




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shandy
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Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



Caleb, thanks. I was looking at 'Dave' - didn't occur to me to look at 'David'... d'oh.

I have sent him a message, thanks.

Thanks too for looking out the Bulletin article - again, I very much appreciate your time and look forward to reading it. 

Have a great day!

Shandy




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shandy
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Posted: 11 Sep 2007 Topic: Recommended reading



Just a quick note to say 'thanks' for all yur suggestions, I have been dipping in daily!

Also, if anyone knows David Bird (or if you are reading this Dave  ), could they ask him to pm me or drop me a line?

Many thanks!




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shandy
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Posted: 25 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



Bit of an update.

The other female has now given birth...




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shandy
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Posted: 26 Sep 2007 Topic: Slow Worm Care help needed



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.




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