Slow Worm?

[Nickov]

Hi,

This is my first post, so hello!

Sadly found what seems to be the remains of a slow worm in our garden, can anyone take a quick look at this pic and confirm? It seems to have lost most of its head. It moves when gently touched, is this likely to be a nervous reaction? Is it possible that part of its brain is still present and working? Should I, somehow, put it out of its misery? Should I dispose of it in some way or leave it for the birds?

I haven't seen one of these since I was a child. Shame that my first sighting since then is a less than happy one. Are they targetted by cats? A particularly predatory one is often in our garden, we think it had one of our goldfish. I'm not a cat fan, generally, and this is doing nothing to argue their case!

Link to image:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y30...9/DSC00735.jpg

Thanks, Nick.

[Hedge Witch]

Before we start another cat war Nickov , it looks as if it's a Slow Worm that has had its head severed from it's body, possibly the work of a garden spade.

It's a shame.

If its brain is gone (which it is) there is nothing to register that "pain" and I see little point in putting it out of its misery.

[Nickov]

Thanks Hedge Witch. Yes, a great shame considering how elusive these little beauties are.

Still a mystery as to how it got there, onto our patio. Neither of us has done any digging for a few weeks. I mowed the lawn on Monday, but that would have been a far messier death, no? Next door have been digging, but it would have had to have crawled a long way, minus its head! Perhaps a bird carried and dropped it?

Should I put it in the bin or pop it under a hedge for the ants to have?

[Nickov]

Odd update - it's still moving about quite a lot. It's crawled over to the other side of the patio, entirely unprompted. Is this still just a residual nerve thing? I tried to pick it up and it wriggled away from me, admittedly not as quickly as slow worms usually move, but still quite quickly Looking at it closely, part of its head is still present. Is it possible that part of the brain is still present? Obviously it can't survive for long without a mouth, and it seems cruel to leave it. Should I crush what's left of its head, to make sure?

[Dutchess]

Hello Nick,

Welcome to WAB. Sorry you have joined under sad circumstances

Looking at the picture, I agree with Hedge Witch. This is *not* the work of a cat. Well-fed pet cats (as everyone knows) like to play with their prey a while. This slow worm still has the end of it's tail fully intact, if a cat had caught it it is my belief that the slow worm would have had ample time to shed it's tail in alarm (they do this as a defence mechanism). Besides, the cut looks clean - the work of a spade or a mower, I'd say.

As for how it got there, it could have wriggled there itself, if it's as mobile as you say. Or, a bird may well have dropped it, we find strange things dropped off in our garden by the local Herring Gulls.

Like you, I also find it strange that it is so mobile so long after the event which severed it's head, but as it's tail is *still* intact after all this time, I'd say the brain (if it is still there, which I very much doubt) is not functioning.

All that said (!!!!) I would "put it out of it's misery" if I were you. At least put it in a bucket out of further harm's way until it stopped wriggling around.

hth

D.

[Nickov]

Thanks for the reply and tips Dutchess.

I decided to finish the poor thing off by giving it a good knock on what was left of its head. It stopped wriggling altogether pretty much straight away, so it was definitely still alive beforehand even if brain dead Hopefully, as Hedge Witch said, without a brain it wouldn't have been in any pain and so hopefully its demise was relatively painless. I'm beginning to suspect I may have done it with the mower on Monday, and the poor thing wriggled blindly onto the patio .

These things happen I suppose; this is a reminder to me to not let the grass grow too long again and to look a bit more carefully where I'm mowing in future.

And here's to seeing a healthy one again soon.

[Dutchess]

Well done, Nick. Obviously you made a good call there

It may not have been your mower....

We have slow worms in our garden, and frogs and toads, so I deliberately leave the grass long along the borders, around the bases of trees, among the bamboo, and next to long, leafy plants such as the day lilies and ornamental grasses. All places where the little critters can hide up in a hurry, in need be. This way I have no need for an edge trimmer either!!

As you had one fine looking slow worm in your garden, I am pretty sure there are more, I have often come across a family group in mine

Keep looking and good luck!

D.

[ron1863]

Hi Nick and a warm welcome to WAB.

[dmclean2]

Hello Nickov,
Welcome to the site and hope you enjoy the company,
Duncan

[Daisychain]

Good grief, I cant believe this poor thing was alive!!! a little bit freaky. Poor you having to deal with it. Well done.