A very nice looking female eastern water skink, very lucky you were there to rescue it. I hope you kicked that cat.
Let her calm down for a day or two - very traumatic to be attacked by a cat and to shed a big chunk of tail like that. Lizzy was upset for about a week when she had a similar close call last summer one day when she went outside, she was very reluctant to go back outside for over a month, even when we left the door wide open for her. (She'd enjoy the direct sunlight on the carpet and look outside and watch the birds and everything that went past but would not go outside). Must have got a huge fright.
Give it a few crickets and or mealworms or roaches each day for a few days, give it a little bit of water in a takeaway tub lid to drink while it's calming down, to help kick start the regeneration process. If you have warm room, place in the container you have it in there, you could put an electric blanket under part of the container and so it can get some warmth, this will help.
I'd refrain from handling the lizard , unless it makes physical contact of it's own accord.
Then let it go in a bushy part of your garden or somewhere that it can get to under your house.
That's what I'd do. I'd refrain from handling the lizard.
You'll know soon enough if it's recieved a serious injury (like a broken bones or internal injuries). I don't know if any vets would bother trying to save it if it has - which is a real shame because eastern water skinks are wonderful lizards.
I know for a fact these lizards are territorial and social. Having spent a lot time befriending the one who has adopted us and lives inside (mostly) with us who has become very tame and friendly, and by observing the behaviour of her fellows very frequently. I wouldn't take it somewhere else to release it. If you have one of these on your property you will have lots more of them living there.
If there are no good refuges for these in your yard, why not provide them with some, things like a rocky pile, or a few hollow logs, or even a pile of fallen twigs + bark + small dropped branches will do, placed at strategic locations will help them.
In a few months she'll (I think it's a Jenny based on the body shape and head shape) have a new tail.
He looks in good health other than the tail, no puncture wuonds that I can see
Reckon I let it go here where there are lots of cats or take it down the road to my property where cats are minimal?
Let it go on your property if that's where you found / rescued it.
