This small Eastern worm snake (from under my porch in NC) seems to have survived an attack from the family cat, but it looks the worse for wear. One picture shows one of its puncture wounds (the orange stuff around the eye is mud) and the other shows the problems with it scales. Is this scale rot and/or does it indicate a systemic bacterial infection? The snake is active, not listless, although it doesn't seem to be using the pointy tip of its tail as much as other worm snakes.

What would be the best thing to do for this snake? Should I release it in the woods in my neighborhood (hopefully far from the cat), or do worm snakes have established home ranges? Would it recover faster in captivity with some kind of treatment for the scales/wounds? I've read that these can be difficult captives, or at least that it's difficult to monitor how many worms and slugs they eat. (At the moment, the worm snake is temporarily in a vacant 10 gal. naturalistic vivarium with soil, moss, and cover objects.)

Thanks for any suggestions!

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