Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello fellow snake lovers,

Recently my female eastern garter snake has given birth. As soon as the babies shed their skin I chopped up some worms and fed it to them. I also got out the small fish in the frezzer, chopped of their heads so they can eat that.( They wouldn't have been able to eat the whole body. ) But they showed no interest whatsoever in the fish and went right for the worms.

Now, is this a problem? Or do I simply have to get some vitamine sumpliment and put it on the worms?

Also, my two wild caught garters(Including the mother.) will only eat worms also, no fish for them! I was suggested to feed them pinkies, but I fear that they won't even eat that. Will scenting the pinky with a worm help? Because I remember trying to scent a fish with worm and that did no good.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated by the way!

-Alenna

I have a similar problem, I recently cut open a roadkill female and saved 5 of her offspring. They won't touch worms or fish, but go nuts over newly transformed toads. I am wondering if it will be hard to get them switched to pinkies
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roomates:
1.0.0 anery corn "zepplin"
1.0.0 normal corn "little bub"
0.0.1 red milk "ed"
2.0.0 false map turtles "marley & harley"
0.0.1 alabama map turtle "pulchra"
0.1.0 grey rat snake "slytherin"

It is not hard at all to switch garter snakes over to pinkie mice, the person with the one that only eats worms: Get a nightcrawler, and rub it all over a pinky mouse, make sure to get alot of slime on it, it will smell just like a worm to the snake and it will eat it. The person with the ones that only eat toads: It may take them a little time for them to switchover to worms, but they should in time, if not, and if you continue to feed them toads, when they get big enough, just rub a toad all over a pinky, or squirt toad urine on the pinky. That won't be passed up either.
Michael
Michael's Place

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I feed my SK other snakes, that doesn't make me a bad person, don't cry about it next time(there will be a next time lol)
Michael's Place FREE caresheets on colubrids check it outMichael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

Are you sure of the species? There is at least one species the Shorthead Garter, Thamnophis brachystoma, that specializes in worms. If this is not the case I would continue feeding them what they want but also offering the fish at regular intervals. Try different approaches in how you offer the fish. You may even want to try a few small fish live in shallow water.

I have heard that with a worm diet it is recommended to use a supplement with calcium now and then. I have no personal experience with this but you may want to research it a bit more.

Good luck with your pets
Randy

When I first caught the momma and this other snake I did some research, some photos popped up saying they were eastern garter snakes so I went with it. But once upon looking up Thamnophis brachystoma I saw the picture of a black snake with three stripes, two on its side and one on it's back. It looks idenicle to the snakes I have.

Alright, calcium supliment? I'll keep that in mind. I did attempt to offer them fish in a bowl(alive), that didn't work either. But thanks for all your help, I appreciate it greatly!

I would use a good field guide such as Conant's, a good key for the Thamnophis genus and reference the geographical information to make a positive ID for your particular snakes. Garters can often look fairly similar.

Randy

´brachystome is a very short speci no longer than two feet, but to get a clear identifycation you´ll have to count scales and use a field guide!