feeding question

[caresssse]

My female garter is about 3 years old, 22 inches long. I've been feeding her every 5 days, alternating between pinkies and silversides. I'll feed her a pinky and then in 5 days I'll leave about 4 silversides (2 inch ones) in her water dish for her to eat at leisure, and then 5 days later I'll feed her a pinky again. She eats all of the fish over the course of a day. She's pretty active and I've never had her turn down food, so should I be feeding her more often?

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think upping the pinkies to 2 would cause a problem.
22 inches for a 3 year old female Checkered seems a little small. Female checkered can get pretty large.

[caresssse]

Thanks! Yeah I thought she was a bit on the small side for her age. I will increase the feeding!

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like a good idea.

[Invisible Snake]

I agree with Steve, up it to 2 or maybe even 3 pinkies.

[chris-uk]

22 inches for a three year old sounds small to me too. I've got two checkereds, both are longer than 22" and the albino is about a year (don't have an accurate DOB for her) and the normal is 10 months. The normal is a pig and I need to limit what she eats, but she'll do more than a pinky. The albino will stop when she's had enough, she will eat a pinky, or more than a pinky-worth of fish.
I agree with Steve, up the food to two pinkies. I've not fed silversides, but I'd consider another one or two. Just judge it and watch that the girl doesn't start getting fat.

[Steveo]

Occasionally I will offer my snakes a buffet (individually) just to see how much they'll eat and then I can build their diet around that, taking into account their normal eating habits. For example, I have a young kingsnake that I had bumped up from 2 mouse pinks to a rat pink at 18", but given the opportunity she ate 2 rat pinks and 3 mouse pinks in 30 minutes, so I bumped up her regular feeding to 2 rat pinks and added a day between meals.

At the other end of the spectrum, I have 2 sinaloan milk snakes that are big enough for 2 mouse pinkies each but just weren't good feeders. I kept offering 2 every week but they'd eat one or sometimes none. After a few weeks they would down the first pink and then take a second when teased with forceps. Now they both eat two fairly regularly. I think some snakes just have trouble overcoming their established feeding patterns and need a little help.

I really try not to waste food both for ethical and financial purposes, so I'll do a buffet for 1 or 2 snakes at a time and feed any leftovers to the rest as part of their normal diets.

[caresssse]

I put about 5-6 silversides in her bowl today (they break off as a big chunk from the frozen bag lol, which I then thaw in a baggie in hot water for 15 minutes) and she ate all but half of one. I feel bad that she hasn't grown to her potential because I haven't fed her enough... time to correct this problem!

Do you all drop the pinkies in the normal vivarium? I always remove her to a separate feeding tank because I've heard that they might otherwise associate the opening of their viv and sticking a hand down in there with food and therefore get aggressive. Also I don't want any of the substrate to get on the food. I put the silversides in the water trough in the main vivarium though... makes me have to change the substrate more often because their smell gets all in it.

[mb90078]

In addition to adding a pinky, I would add a few more silversides as well...unless the snake becomes less vigorous about eating as the food intake increases, in which case you may be feeding the right amount. But it does seem a little on the small side from the perspective you illustrate.

[Steveo]

I typically separate for feeding, but occasionally will drop some worms in a water dish if I'm pressed for time. They only last about 20 minutes in there but that is enough time for a snake to decide if it is hungry or not.

[kibakiba]

Are you sure that she's a female? I'd consider the possibility of her being male if she's that small at that age. Perhaps we can get a picture of her vent area?

[guidofatherof5]

Good idea Chantel.

[chris-uk]

Are you sure that she's a female? I'd consider the possibility of her being male if she's that small at that age. Perhaps we can get a picture of her vent area?

Good question.

[caresssse]

Are you sure that she's a female? I'd consider the possibility of her being male if she's that small at that age. Perhaps we can get a picture of her vent area?

I'll take a picture and post later tonight or tomorrow!

[guidofatherof5]

This thread will give you an idea of the type of photos to take and post.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/breeding/5069-sexing-pics.html

[caresssse]

Okay. You may or may not be able to tell by these pics. She (he?) is quite wiggly when being held and would rather explore the phone I am holding up to take pictures than be still and allow for a good photograph lol. And my roommate is terrified of snakes :rolleyes:.... or I'd ask her to help me. I got some decent ones of the head shape though. Don't know if you can tell much from that.

The reason I always assume she was female is that *I* thought her tail tapered down quickly and that was a sign of being female, and the breeder guessed that she was when I bought her because she was a lot calmer than the other babies he was selling. She/he has become quite active and curious now, though.

[guidofatherof5]

Too bad the SHE didn't cooperate more in that under the tail photo.
My first impression is female.
A better photo will nail it down.
Thanks for posting the updated photos.
Beautiful girl you have there.

[chris-uk]

I can't tell from those photos, the last of them is the right photo but it's too small and fuzzy for me to make out the scales and the vent.

[guidofatherof5]

Just looked and see that nice full head of a female.
Wide, not narrow like most of the males I've seen.

[caresssse]

Yes she has actually grown quite a bit in the past year, and I bet she will grow even faster now that I'm almost doubling her food intake. If I can find someone who isn't afraid of snakes to take the picture while I hold her still, I will share better pics (why are so many people afraid of a harmless garter? Lol) thanks for all of your advice and input!!