Other things to feed your snake?

[hissies]

What sorts of things do you/can you feed besides silversides, worms, tilapia, trout, salmon, and pinkies?

I've seen a couple threads mentioning meat- what kinds, organs, muscle meat?

Is there anything you can buy from bait shops that might be a good treat? Leeches seem to pop up a bit in lists of garters' natural diets. Has anyone tried using them? Share your sources if you know of a reasonable place to buy things from online!

I'm aware it's not good to offer things you've gone out and caught due to parasites and toxins in the environment.

What about something like this: Can O Snails - 1.7 oz. | ThatPetPlace.com (http://www.thatpetplace.com/can-o-snails-1oz)

[infernalis]

I doubt you could get a garter snake to eat canned snails.

I'm afraid I don't understand. Snakes are not like humans, variety on the supper plate is of little interest.

Several people here do very well with just a rodent diet.

As for "meat" whole prey items are far more nutritionally complete.

Reptiles utilize virtually everything from whole prey, when you start feeding hunks of meat or organs, many necessary nutrients including the calcium from skeletons is missing from the meal.

[Stefan-A]

I doubt you could get a garter snake to eat canned snails.
As it happens, I do have a can o snails and today is feeding day.

[infernalis]

As it happens, I do have a can o snails and today is feeding day.

Yours will eat them?

[kimbosaur]

Both my snakes eat them. One took to them immediately, and the other needed a little scenting.

[Stefan-A]

Yours will eat them?
Haven't tested them yet. I really only have two snakes that I know will take invertebrates.

Just gave each a dish of snails. One appears to be circling the dish, although it's possible that it's picking up some residual scent from previous fish meals. I don't see any takers and the snails smell like everything else that's been canned.

I do have two other snakes in lego mode, but it wouldn't be fair to test the snails on them.

[d_virginiana]

I like keeping a small variety around like fish, worms, and pinkies just because mine will randomly decide to stop eating one food item and suddenly go crazy for another. I probably wouldn't try to get them eating something more complicated like chicken livers or egg whites (I think there have been threads about those in the past) just because it would require scenting to get them to even try it, and I don't want them to think that something I don't have on hand often is something they can hunger-strike for. :rolleyes:

[infernalis]

I do have two other snakes in lego mode.

I remember that post well.

[hissies]

I'm afraid I don't understand. Snakes are not like humans, variety on the supper plate is of little interest.

Interesting, I was under the impression that a varied diet was a good thing! If not for the snake's culinary interest so much as the potential nutritive value.

Primarily, I'm asking out of curiosity. Garters seem so versatile in what they can eat, I was wondering if any keepers feed something outside the "standard".

The snails caught my eye because I've seen slugs brought up on several occasions, yet wild-caught food is discouraged.

[guidofatherof5]

Years ago I tried the can-o-snailes. Most of my snakes refused to eat them.

I do give a treat now and then of turkey heart and turkey liver usually around Christmas and New Years when they are available in bulk.

[Steveo]

I try to stick to things that I know are good and are as safe as possible. Right now everyone gets f/t rodents (if they'll eat them) and f/t silversides, though I'm starting up a tank for feeder guppies this week because of the hassle of dealing with silversides. I'm getting the guppies from a reputable breeder to minimize the risk of parasites. I know it's not as cost-effective as silversides, but the reduced time and effort of cutting and thawing smelly silversides is more than worth it to me.

[Stefan-A]

Can O Snails has no fans here. Not a single snail was eaten.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Interesting, I was under the impression that a varied diet was a good thing!

If i'm not mistaken a varied diet is to make sure the animal doesn't miss any vital substances and not to feed the snake different things just for the sake of it.A diet of rodents,fish and/or worms pretty much covers every thing so there is not much need to feed other things.[IMO]

[guidofatherof5]

If i'm not mistaken a varied diet is to make sure the animal doesn't miss any vital substances and not to feed the snake different things just for the sake of it.A diet of rodents,fish and/or worms pretty much covers every thing so there is not much need to feed other things.[IMO]

Very well put William.
Each food item had pros and cons. Feeding a varied diet balances those pros and cons out.

[kimbosaur]

I doubt you could get a garter snake to eat canned snails.

I'm afraid I don't understand. Snakes are not like humans, variety on the supper plate is of little interest.

Several people here do very well with just a rodent diet.

As for "meat" whole prey items are far more nutritionally complete.

Reptiles utilize virtually everything from whole prey, when you start feeding hunks of meat or organs, many necessary nutrients including the calcium from skeletons is missing from the meal.


I remember that post well.

So did you mean to say, "I doubt you can get a full snake to eat canned snails"?

[kibakiba]

No, he didn't.
Some of Stefan's snakes go into 'lego' mode, which means they'll pretty much eat anything, including legos.

[kimbosaur]

I got that part...

Edit: Thought I should clarify. What I meant is that the two statements are contradictory so I was looking for clarification.

[Sonya610]

Interesting, I was under the impression that a varied diet was a good thing! If not for the snake's culinary interest so much as the potential nutritive value.

Primarily, I'm asking out of curiosity. Garters seem so versatile in what they can eat, I was wondering if any keepers feed something outside the "standard".

When I started out (a whole year and a half ago) I heard pinkies were best, some fish could be risky (something about babies being known to seizure occasionally when on heavy fish diets) plus with fish there is the risk of lead and chemicals depending on what type. Worms were fine but I really didn't want to chop up huge live worms, when mine are big enough to eat a whole walmart nightcrawler then they can have all the worms they like.

Call me paranoid but I remember the big "Chinese contaniminated corn gluten" dog food recall a few years ago, thousands of dogs/cats likely died of kidney failure before anyone realized what was happening, the only reason they identified the fatal ingredient is because some of the corporate "taste tester lab" dogs and cats started dying in large numbers and the dog/cat food industry is multi-million dollar. Incidents involving reptiles would be poorly publicized and less well tracked.

Mine are over a year now so I am getting brave with the Tilapia, but the way I see it "if it ain't broke don't fix it, and certainly don't start experimenting without documented backup".

[guidofatherof5]

Don't let them gorge on the fish and you should be fine.
I will suggest you get over your problem with the worms as worm as a very good food source. I know it's gross and all but your snakes deserve the benefits of worms in their diet.
Just my opinion.;)

[Sonya610]

I will suggest you get over your problem with the worms as worm as a very good food source. I know it's gross and all but your snakes deserve the benefits of worms in their diet.
Just my opinion.;)

For me it isn't the ick factor, I just feel so bad cutting up those desperate, squirming, live animals. I did it years ago when feeding a baby bird and it was just too much, ended up freezing them solid and cutting them up after. I am also suspicious of anything like that from Walmart, they aren't selling them as food so God only knows where they are getting them and what they are being fed.

[guidofatherof5]

For me it isn't the ick factor, I just feel so bad cutting up those desperate, squirming, live animals. I did it years ago when feeding a baby bird and it was just too much, ended up freezing them solid and cutting them up after. I am also suspicious of anything like that from Walmart, they aren't selling them as food so God only knows where they are getting them and what they are being fed.

Walmart gets their night crawlers from DMF Bait Co. I also buy from DMF and have never had any issues with the worms.

[Sonya610]

Walmart gets their night crawlers from DMF Bait Co. I also buy from DMF and have never had any issues with the worms.

Yeah well I called the hardware store in town and they only had red wigglers, but he told me about the little gas station down the street that carries night crawlers (small towns are awesome!). They will get some nightcrawlers in on Friday and I will buy some. Not making any promises regarding a repeat, but we will try them and see how it goes. I also get my new albino flame on Friday so maybe it can be a little garter welcome/celebration party worm feast.

[kibakiba]

You know, you evenually get over the 'feeling bad' thing. I cried the first time I had to cut up a worm. I cried the second time. The third time I was just a little upset, and the fourth time I stopped caring. If you cut them up really fast, there shouldn't be an issue. I cut very large night crawlers into newborn garter sized chunks within a few seconds.

[Sonya610]

You know, you evenually get over the 'feeling bad' thing. I cried the first time I had to cut up a worm. I cried the second time. The third time I was just a little upset, and the fourth time I stopped caring. If you cut them up really fast, there shouldn't be an issue. I cut very large night crawlers into newborn garter sized chunks within a few seconds.

Yeah I am thinking I will buy a package of hardware store razor blades. If babies happen to arrive I will likely have to do it, for the more grown snakes it will depend on how unpleasant it is.

[kibakiba]

Razor blades are great for cutting the worms up. That's what I used at first. I just use a regular filet knife.

[xStatic]

I think worms are pretty well adapted to being pulled into smaller pieces. I remember many times as a kid trying to collect worms from the soil and accidentally pulling them in half when I went to pull them out. The part of the worm with the "head" will continue living even if you chop the "tail" end off multiple times. At first it sort of bothered me too, but I soon got use to it. At least the worms are being used to keep your snakes healthy instead of being stabbed onto a fishing hook and cast into a lake (no offence fishing-people, I've fished with worms many times myself).