Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two garter snakes and all I can get them to eat are minnows and earthworms. Ive tried wax worms and crickets but they have no intrest in either and they are too small yet to try pinkies. For now it's not a problem but once winter hits and the ground freezes I won't be able to dig up worms anymore. Any thoughts on what else I could try to feed them? Thanks in advance

forget all insects, they don't eat them. you can keep giving them fish all winter if you need to. You can also buy fresh trout and cut it up into small pieces and freeze it. thaw out what you need and cut it up for them. as they start to get some size you work on scenting pinkies.

Definitely do away with the wax worms & crickets. From what I've heard, insect exo-skeletons are difficult for the garter's digestive system to handle. Instead of minnows, are there any stores around you that sell feeder guppies or can you get a hold of some mosquito fish? Minnows like goldfish, contain thiaminase. If your snakes are fed these fish over an extended period of time, there's a good chance that it will eventually lead to the animal's death. Rosy Reds are a type of minnow by the way. The worms that you're feeding your snakes are fine, but they're not the most nutritious food. However, they will do until the small ones are large enough to accept pinkies.
Once winter sets in and you're no longer able to dig up your own worms, you could try going to your local bait store and getting some nightcrawlers. They're huge, but you can always cut them into smaller pieces. Just to be on the safe side, I'd avoid the smaller wiry bloodworms. They're supposedly toxic from what I hear.

is it possible your ment the red wigglers i had fish refuse them after a couple feedings i grew them under rabbits.

My two show distinct preferences for food.

The Northwestern prefers earthworms & nightcrawlers. I buy them at a local store, they are not too large, and he eats weekly. When first obtained in the wild, he ate one small pinkie, but none since.

The Red-spotted loves frogs - especially Tree Frogs, which are abundant in the Pacific Northwest near wetlands and gardens.

Once he took a nightcrawlers, but not since. I'm still trying to get him to eat pinkies.

Oddly, both have summarily ignored fishes, both local minnows and Guppies.

Ameron in Portland, OR