Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Cou;d I mantain my waters with, bait minnows that are dusted with rep-cal herptivite? I mean use them as their main foor, not only food. I will add 1 worm or 2 for every feeding, and a frog that has been frozen about once a month or twice. Or would the frog just be a bad idea. I will use mice for my waters but only if I can't do it any other way. Do thewild caught minnows and small bream have the thiamanes(bad spelling)? If not could I just maintain them on those? I'm just asking. I can get the mice, but I would realy liket to be able to go without feeding them the mice, but I will if I have to. I order my mice every 2 months, close to 200. Thanx. I will post pics of all snakes I catch here.
Justin

Wow, thats a lot of mice every month. What are you feeding them to?
How much are you paying for mice? And how much for minnows? It might be cheaper to get the Nerodia on mice in the long run. Certainly less messy and probably a lot less trouble.

I got my wild caught Florida banded water snakes on mice pinks pretty easily with the usual method, wait till their ready to feed, offer a couple minnows, then a washed pink that I rubbed a minnow all over. They 2 snakes each ate 3-4 pinks. One regurgitated one of the pinks an hour later for some reason.

I had a ribbon snake showing signs of thiamin deficiency after feeding on live minnows for about 7 months. I sprinkled it's next meal with Herp multi vitamin powder and the symptoms dissappeared within two days. I can't say this is typical, just what I observed. This makes me think that you could maintain Nerodia if you lightly dusted every few meals (you don't need to dust them all).

It might be important to include a calcium supplement too. The calcium phosphorus ratio in the diet is important for healthy snakes. Water snakes will not eat worms.

Joe

I wouldn't use a vitamin supplement every feeding as that is probably overkill. Once every three or four feedings is great, and that might even be a little much. Thiaminase has never been a problem for me and I have snakes that have fed on nothing but live Rosey Red minnows for over a year. Especially if you're feeding wild-caught fish like bream, I wouldn't worry about thiaminase until you actually have problems. Just something to consider.

-Pierson
-----
Pierson Hill

Herpetology and Herpetoculture

thanks guys

I will have to disagree with only one thing you said. Waters do eat worms. Or this subspecies of midland that is in my area do. That is my little ones favorite food. I don't feed them worms to often because it take salot for it to be a meal for them. Next time i see mine eating one I'll post a pic of it. I usually just drop there food right in and leave, as I feed most of my herps on the same days. I have a savanna monitor, a few rat snakes, large turtles, bull snake, few pythons and so on. You know the normal amount for most serious herpers.
Justin

P.S. I guess I no lonegr have to sign in as what. Justin Stricklin is now working again. It has worked for abput three days so far.