Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: blackcat on April 21, 2008, 20:55:08 PM

Title: shriek!!
Post by: blackcat on April 21, 2008, 20:55:08 PM
Esther has just come in giving her usual 'I have caught some savage prey' noise, that usually presages the arrival of a savage autum leaf or similar. She rushed into the pantry and dropped what looked like a cat collar until I turned on the light. What is was, I have no idea, but is looked like a stubby muscular snake. About the size of a cat collar lengthwise, it had scales and a white mark around its mouth. Very muscular and quite sluggish in its movements (fortunately). It is now in the next door's garden (they are not living there I hasten to add) and Esther safely inside. Please tell me this was a slow-worm and not an adder!!! I have no idea what either of them look like  :scared:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on April 21, 2008, 20:58:43 PM
oooh sounds like a slow worm:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/281.shtml
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: blackcat on April 21, 2008, 21:02:54 PM
phew, yes, that is it I think, although mine had a slightly pointier head (not so thick top through to bottom), but that is possibly just a regional variation ...
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on April 21, 2008, 21:06:34 PM
you're very lucky to have a slow worm ... they are totally harmless, shy and sweet little creatures (ickle legless lizards .... NO that is not the same as pi$$ed newt  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: )
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: blackcat on April 21, 2008, 21:10:17 PM
well, strictly speaking the neighbours have it now  :rofl: but yes, an interesting creature, and not something I had met previously. My problem is that growing up in Tasmania, if it looked like a snake it was a snake and what is more it was a venemous snake so I do tend to err on the side of caution. But this one looked so sluggish I just picked it up behind its head and dropped it over the wall ... I was feeling quite brave,  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on April 21, 2008, 21:13:54 PM
 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Ahh you're safe here BC we only have one native snake and that's the adder (they are very common in areas with lots of bracken ... but the chances of actually seeing are VERY remote).  http://www.wildlifebritain.com/theadder.php
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Den on April 21, 2008, 21:14:00 PM
 :Luv: :Luv:

Slow worms are lovely. Sadly though they are getting rare.
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: blackcat on April 21, 2008, 21:16:23 PM
well this one should live to a ripe old age as Esther had not injured it at all, clever girl :Luv:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Den on April 21, 2008, 21:19:56 PM
well this one should live to a ripe old age as Esther had not injured it at all, clever girl :Luv:

She is a very good girl, as they are a protected species. Poor you having the shock of your life   :hug:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: blackcat on April 21, 2008, 21:23:01 PM
since you all tell me it is rare, i have filed a report with RAUK so that they have the record ...
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Gillian Harvey on April 21, 2008, 23:03:45 PM
Slow worms are lovely. Sadly though they are getting rare.

I feel quite honoured then, I usually have several sleeping in my compost heap!  :Luv2:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Baggy on April 21, 2008, 23:11:20 PM
Saw my neighbour's siamese cat yesterday, crossing our lawn with what looked suspiciously like a slow worm dangling from its mouth.  I imagined the screams as he appeared through their cat flap!
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: CurlyCatz on April 22, 2008, 06:47:38 AM
ROFL Jo

there is a lady who owns a laperm down in england somewhere ( and a lab  :) ) and her permie gets out into garden and takes these slow worms in, last year she first brought it home and the lady put it out only to find it back in her house again a short while later (dead)  this happened 2 more times when she thought enough was enough and shut her permie in doors so she couldnt see where her owner was putting this now very tattered specimen and she lobbed it down over her garden fence.
The next day guess what...yep she almost trod on it in her hall way  :rofl:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on April 22, 2008, 10:24:27 AM
If we had slow worms I can guarantee Zephyr would bring them home for me.  He loves earthworms and I have to take them off him and go and put them in the garden under a large upturned terracotta plant pot otherwise he follows me out and recaptures them  :rofl: :rofl:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: alisonandarchie on April 22, 2008, 16:35:40 PM
I have always wanted to see a slow worm :-:

BC Esther must be very gentle not to harm it. ;D
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: blackcat on April 22, 2008, 17:40:31 PM
ESther is very gentle with her prey until she has presented it to me. Then she goes into full-on killer mode. I assume is a habit she acquired as a stray with kittens ...
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on April 22, 2008, 17:43:42 PM
I'm so glad my lads are indoor cats!!
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: berties mum on April 22, 2008, 21:46:30 PM
 :sick:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: Millys Mum on April 23, 2008, 20:28:52 PM
This evening i got a rotting bird corpse complete with hanging entrails and ants   :sick: :sick: For a moment i thought Taz had finally managed to catch himself something but nope he had found somebody elses unwanted kills  :innocent:
Iv asked him to stick to chips and bread  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: shriek!!
Post by: alisonandarchie on April 23, 2008, 22:11:40 PM
 :sick: