sexing a slow worm

Crunchie wrote: Yes unfortunately I saw an add on a reptile classified add site last year advertising common lizards and slow worms as F2 generation so legal to sell. Unfortunately it eventually turned out that the person selling thought that F2 meant they had to be kept in captivity for two years. To make matters worse they offered to send the slow worms out by Royal mail special delivery which is illegal in itself.

I hope this was reported? And if not, do you have a name/email etc of the seller/sellers?, if so PM me and I'll pass it on to the relevant people. Sadly a prime example of why it's a bad idea to post on the net specific sites that herps occupy, plays right into the collectors hands. I always like to think that this is a thing of the past but sadly we know this not to be true. 

Only under a license - I cannot sell toads, frogs and newts as I DO NOT HAVE A LICENSE TO DO SO. If I collected some frogs in my back garden in December - I placed a sign outside my house 'Frogs for sale 50p each' I will be breaking the law as I do not have a license!

If you happen to have a license then you are not allowed to sell the amphibians in the breeding season and in particular places

Palmate newts are very rare in the counties listed

I think you will find that the license will name the licensee and it would not cover anyone else you have to apply for a specific license just like a survey license for great crested newts.

Though this may be different for pet shops - for instance they donot need a DWA for selling dangerous animals - they just have to sell to people that have them........

If you apply for a license for a pet shop does that include everyone in the shop?

Jon

Well I think the word 'popping' the hemipenes is a little misleading when it comes to slowworms. Generally when you hold male slowworms if they are thrashing about messing etc they will expose their hemipenes -

I have seen Nick Smith look at slowworms and he uses gentle pressure with a finger behind the cloaca - a push down onto this will produce poo in females no hempenes but in males usually hemipenes will invert out to the side of the cloaca.

Given the originator of this post had a captive slowworm which in my opinion should never have been bought (no offence intended) as yeah its a German slowworm or its a Russian Slowworm or what ever - in this country it is illegal to sell slowworms which in my mind is absolutely right......leave that rant...

If you look at the base of the cloaca and the body it is quite soft and can be gently pushed to expell faeces - so if done slowly and gently will not do any harm to the animal.

It was a suggestion as some male slowworms do look like females and vice versa

You wouldnt want to touch the tail mind as this would break surely

Jon

herpetologic2 wrote: Well I think the word 'popping' the hemipenes is a little misleading when it comes to slowworms. Generally when you hold male slowworms if they are thrashing about messing etc they will expose their hemipenes -

I've seen this happen probably twice in as many decades, most that are thrashing to that extent drop the tail without it even being touched. A sure sign that they are too warm for capture in my book.

Still 'popping your pet' could become as popular as 'pimping your ride' I guess. (do you think Jon will shout at us again Rob )