Slow worm.

[sidkid]

I've been looking after an injured slow worm for the past three weeks. Something attacked it in my back garden and bit off a sizeable portion of it's tail. It's in a plastic container with a small container of drinking water. The tail wound seems to be healing nicely - I've cleaned out all the tiny maggots and the appalling smell has gone. The problem is that I can't get him/her to take any food. I've tried earthworms, small slugs, caterpillars even bits of chicken and cheese. All I get is a quick flick of its tongue but no eating. I believe lizards can go quite a while between meals....anybody any thoughts? I would hate for its tail to be almost healed but in the meantime it starves to death! Obviously I don't want to put it back into the wild until its fully recovered.

[keithlbw]

Slow-worms can shed their tails to distract predators. The tail does grow back.
Maggots will only eat dead flesh.It is possible that the smell was coming from the maggots. It may be that it is not eating because it is being confined. I would release it into the wild again.

[snags]

Are you sure something has taken a chunk out of the tail or is the end of the tail missing? If the latter, as keithlbw says, shedding the tail is a natural defense mechanism and the slow worm won't suffer unduly. I would make sure it has plenty of water over worrying about if it is taking food or not and would also release it near to where you found it...

[237SJ]

You could try him with insects. They eat those.

[sidkid]

thanks for all the advice - I'll be releasing it soon.