Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted the other day, asking what to feed a very little wild caught garter. I bought a few feeder fish and put them in her water bowl but no luck. I dropped a slug in the cage and she devoured it. I also got her to eat a little earthworm but nothing with any calcium. Do you drop the fish onto the substrate and hope the garter grabs it before it dies, or do they actually catch them out of the water. I bought little zebra fish as this snake is very small. A little gold fish would be far too big so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, while we're on the topic, how, and at what size did you guys get your wc garters to switch to mice? Thanks in advance for any help. I am used to problem feeders, I have an 8ft Jungle Carpet Python that only eats mice, twenty a week to be exact. So a challenge isn't something I'm going to worry about, I'm new to this and would love some help. Thanks again, Eric-

I've been able to get 6-7" garters to take newborn pinkies. Since you've got her feeding on slugs and worms, I'd get an appropriately sized pinky (frozen thawed work best), wash it thoroughly and rub it thoroughly with a worm or slug and offer it to your garter. It helps if you've withheld food for about a week so that the snake is really hungry. If it takes the scented pinkie, you can offer it pinkies on a weekly basis and start reducing how much of the pinky gets scented. In terms of fish I just offer them in a shallow water bowl. So far all of the juvies I've kept have readily taken fish, but adults and subadults from fishless areas may never take fish. If scenting with a slug or worm doesn't work for the pinkies, consider keeping a local treefrog as a pet, most of my garters have found frog scented pinkies irresistable.

-Alice

There are several species of Garter Snakes we may be dealing with. If yours is a Northwestern Garter they specialize in eating slugs and worms. They will occasionally feed on amphibians in captivity but I have not encountered any reports of them eating fish like the other species do. A scented pinkie would still be worth a shot though. I have dealt with Wandering Garters in Arizona that were reluctant to take feeder fish. It seems it was more of an adaptation to terrestrial hunting than choice of prey. When the feeder fish were completely submerged the snake would show no interest. When the feeder fish were placed in shallow water with half the body above the water line the snake would feed ravenously.

Northwestern Garters vary quite a bit in pattern and color so an internet search of various Northwesterns might help identify it. I do not have enough experience with Northwestern Garters to be sure that is what you have but I am inclined to believe because it does not look typical for other species in Oregon. In the meantime continue with the worm/slug diet but get a good calcium type supplement.

Species in Oregon:

Northwestern Garter Snake, Thamnophis ordinoides
Red-Spotted Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus
Valley Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi
Mountain Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans elegans
Wandering Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans vagrans
Coast Garter Snake, Thamnophis elegans terrestris
Oregon Garter Snake, Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus

Did I miss anyone?
-----
Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps