First!?
While the camp that the group had left behind was still untouched, everyone wasn't amazed by this. They were instead watching the jade worm greedily drink up the potion that Clark had given Maria. Especially with the fact that it looked like it couldn't do without it now.
The speed that the jade worm could eat anything was limited by the simple fact that it was small. Regardless of how much food it was offered, it would need the time to consume it. That could be said for many younger and smaller beasts. They needed the appropriate time to be able to eat, process, and then expel the foods or herbs given to them.