# Slow worm as pet, help



## Candyfuzz (Apr 15, 2009)

Hey I was thinking of keeping one for awhile as a pet and was wondering if they eat crickets or mealworms as that is all the pet store sells.
Any other advice?


----------



## herpzane (Apr 1, 2008)

i thought it was like against the law to keep these. in the wild they feed mainly on slugs and worms


----------



## Spider Call (Mar 23, 2007)

When I was younger I had one as a pet for a while, however the only reason I had it was because my cat had scratched it up really badly and my dad wanted to pts. 
I refused to let him and cried until he let me take the little thing and clean her up C: 
Every morning I collected tiny little slugs from under things in the garden and baby worms as that was what we were told they ate.
We had crickets and locust for the harvest mice but the S/worm never looked interested. 

We let her go a few months later ^^ And apart from a few scars she was no worse for wear <3


----------



## Finch (Sep 14, 2007)

I leave it in the wild were it belongs and just go buy a cb rep, we have enuff cb reps now no need to keep taking them from the wild.


----------



## rizz (Jan 3, 2009)

arent slow worms really rare now?
i think they should stay in the wild, i agree with finch


----------



## wildlifewarrior (Jun 26, 2008)

you can legally keep and breed them yes. you can only sell 3rd gen babies on...which is hard to prove so you would really have to realise the babies back to wild.

there are like 20 topics already on this.

lastly, i think you will find if you do get one then it will die very quick if you handle it alot as the stress, and feeding a wc animal crickets and mealworms will also help to kill it quicker. it changes there gut fauna too quickly. they are best with slugs,worms and so on. but thats just in my experince

also you wont ever see them, just like having a pet tub of soil.
as already said unless your plan is to keep them to breed them then leave it in the wild.


----------



## Stumps (Aug 31, 2008)

There has been some decline in some areas, but i think they are quite common in wales and south west. They are protected under the wildlife and conservation act, is an offence to harm or kill them and trade in anyway. They can be taken from the wild, but as the others say its better to leave them in the wild unless its an injured one.


----------



## daftlassieEmma (Oct 23, 2008)

wildlifewarrior said:


> you can legally keep and breed them yes. you can only sell 3rd gen babies on...which is hard to prove so you would really have to realise the babies back to wild.
> 
> there are like 20 topics already on this.
> 
> ...


 agreed, there are a few threads already on this


----------



## Astritos (Feb 7, 2009)

I use to Breed them when i was younger and realise them the next year.
There nothing that will be on show like what has been said already they just stay hidden.
Best off just going to a Pet Shop.

Dan


----------



## draylok3 (May 29, 2012)

i wish to breed slow worms and then release the babys into wooded areas in the wild.currently i have a young juvenile male slow worm i rescued him from our garden we have 6 cats and cats are one of the major killers of slow worms.and i also have an adult female her cat attacked it and my sister saved it and i took them in. theye are very healthy and well fed in there enviroment theres is soil for them to move around in and we also have a wormery to keep them fed.


----------



## Lil_nightmare (Feb 26, 2011)

this thread is 3 years old...:whistling2:


----------



## Kuja (Dec 14, 2011)

draylok3 said:


> i wish to breed slow worms and then release the babys into wooded areas in the wild.currently i have a young juvenile male slow worm i rescued him from our garden we have 6 cats and cats are one of the major killers of slow worms.and i also have an adult female her cat attacked it and my sister saved it and i took them in. theye are very healthy and well fed in there enviroment theres is soil for them to move around in and we also have a wormery to keep them fed.


realllly old thread
lol damn google 

best of luck, i had mixed success when younger with worms and slugs, struggled with the winter months however, the idea was to release and what not, but there isn't much need in all honesty.


----------



## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

draylok3 said:


> i wish to breed slow worms and then release the babys into wooded areas in the wild.currently i have a young juvenile male slow worm i rescued him from our garden we have 6 cats and cats are one of the major killers of slow worms.and i also have an adult female her cat attacked it and my sister saved it and i took them in. theye are very healthy and well fed in there enviroment theres is soil for them to move around in and we also have a wormery to keep them fed.


Slow worms don't typically come from woodlands, more so heaths and marshland (they need open areas to bask).... And what's the point of releasing them, there will be little/no genetic diversity and with predators there is little chance of a small released group being sustainable... Maybe you should put your time into making these more available to the pet trade from the pair youve already taken from the wild or join a local wild herp group to preserve already established groups in your local area.


----------



## Lil_nightmare (Feb 26, 2011)

Chris18 said:


> Slow worms don't typically come from woodlands, more so heaths and marshland (they need open areas to bask).... And what's the point of releasing them, there will be little/no genetic diversity and with predators there is little chance of a small released group being sustainable... *Maybe you should put your time into making these more available to the pet trade* from the pair youve already taken from the wild or join a local wild herp group to preserve already established groups in your local area.



I wouldn't, its illegal : victory:

_Slow-worms are protected against killing, injuring and sale under UK legislation: 

_ _•_ _Bern Convention 1979: Appendix III 
_ _•_ _Wildlife & Countryside Act (as Amended) 1981: Schedule 5 _ _
•_ _Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW 2000)_ _

Following an amendment in 1988 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, part of Section 9(1) and all of Section 9(5) apply to the slow-worm’s listing on Schedule 5 of the Act. Consequently, under parts of Section 9(1) slow-worms are protected against intentional killing and injuring but not ‘taking’. Under Section 9(5) it is an offence to offer for sale, transport for sale, advertise for the purpose of trading any live, dead, part, or derivative of, slow-worms. Section 9 applies to all stages in their life cycle.
_


----------



## Kuja (Dec 14, 2011)

Lil_nightmare said:


> I wouldn't, its illegal : victory:
> 
> _Slow-worms are protected against killing, injuring and sale under UK legislation:
> 
> ...


its something silly like 3rd generation slow worms can be sold, but you need proof that they are captive bred. Although _Section 9 applies to all stages in their life cycle _is quite interesting.

think the way in which people get around it is, this is the wildlife act, you are allowed to take them as long as you do not hurt them, sell etc. Once they have offspring they are no longer wild, but captive bred so would fall under the laws for that.


----------



## Lil_nightmare (Feb 26, 2011)

Kuja said:


> its something silly like 3rd generation slow worms can be sold, but you need proof that they are captive bred. Although _Section 9 applies to all stages in their life cycle _is quite interesting.
> 
> think the way in which people get around it is, this is the wildlife act, you are allowed to take them as long as you do not hurt them, sell etc. Once they have offspring they are no longer wild, but captive bred so would fall under the laws for that.


Agreed that may be true, BUT i think that it would be something you need to research fully and make sure its true as you have to prove they are not WC and how to do that? 

It carries a max k fine and even 6months jail. So if its something the poster really wants to do he needs to have his ass covered from every angle : victory:


----------



## Chris18 (Mar 22, 2009)

Lil_nightmare said:


> Agreed that may be true, BUT i think that it would be something you need to research fully and make sure its true as you have to prove they are not WC and how to do that?
> 
> It carries a max k fine and even 6months jail. So if its something the poster really wants to do he needs to have his ass covered from every angle : victory:


I think you have to be very vigorous with photographic proof.
Photographing things such as copulation, egg laying and the hatchlings coming out of the eggs. How you prove what generation they are is certainly going to be difficult.
To be honest working with them is very difficult and probably not worth it as the species aren't even typically endangered (yet) I was merely suggesting to the poster other options.
Releasing into the wild can also be very dodgy. If you release them and they soon die then you can be held responsible as you've put them into the wild when they might not cope.


----------



## jona (Jan 1, 2009)

herpzane said:


> i thought it was like against the law to keep these. in the wild they feed mainly on slugs and worms


To keep any uk species of animals/lizards/snakes as pets it is.I think you can rehabilatate them & thats it (sorry about spelling).


----------



## bloodisntred (May 21, 2012)

haha this is such an old post 
instead of a slow worm how about a leglesslizard??? there simular.
i wanted a europien big one but cant find anywhere that sell them ): 
i did want a slow worm but have been told by allot of people its illegal i dont know tbh sorry


----------



## Emmiekat94 (Mar 16, 2021)

Chris18 said:


> I think you have to be very vigorous with photographic proof.
> Photographing things such as copulation, egg laying and the hatchlings coming out of the eggs. How you prove what generation they are is certainly going to be difficult.
> To be honest working with them is very difficult and probably not worth it as the species aren't even typically endangered (yet) I was merely suggesting to the poster other options.
> Releasing into the wild can also be very dodgy. If you release them and they soon die then you can be held responsible as you've put them into the wild when they might not cope.


Sorry to be _that_ person, but Slow Worms give live birth, they do not lay eggs.


----------

