Switching to frozen...?

[hissies]

The garter I may be getting, last I heard, is being fed live minnows. I'd like to get him eating frozen (thawed!) asap. Is there a certain method to doing this? I was thinking about just putting the silversides in the water dish, a place he's used to getting food out of.

How do you graduate a garter to hand feeding or being tong-fed?


Also, how long do frozen silversides typically keep?

[guidofatherof5]

What other food item do you plan to feed?(non-fish)
What species of garter are you getting?

[hissies]

Worms, as well as fresh tilapia and salmon filets in addition to the silversides.

I think either an eastern or a radix- I haven't seen the snake, and the people who have him now have told me both. Although, I've come across a few articles referring to radixes as "eastern plains garter snakes", so that may be where the confusion is coming from.

[guidofatherof5]

Worms, as well as fresh tilapia and salmon filets in addition to the silversides.

I think either an eastern or a radix- I haven't seen the snake, and the people who have him now have told me both. Although, I've come across a few articles referring to radixes as "eastern plains garter snakes", so that may be where the confusion is coming from.

No such animal as an Eastern Plains, that is just a local name(common name) given to them in some areas. They are T.radix (Plains Garter)

[hissies]

No such animal as an Eastern Plains, that is just a local name(common name) given to them in some areas. They are T.radix (Plains Garter)

Oh, I know that. I just think that may be the reason why they've told me on different occasions that this snake is an eastern *and* a radix. :)
Then, the friend I've talked to who currently has him admitted to "only skimming information from google" on garter snakes, so I'm not going to assume it's any species until I get to see the snake and post pictures here!

[guidofatherof5]

Oh, I know that. I just think that may be the reason why they've told me on different occasions that this snake is an eastern *and* a radix. :)
Then, the friend I've talked to who currently has him admitted to "only skimming information from google" on garter snakes, so I'm not going to assume it's any species until I get to see the snake and post pictures here!

Sounds like a good plan.

[Light of Dae]

When I was first looking for info on what kinda Garter I found, I was looking on google and figured he was a 'north western plains garter' lol

He was just a Plains Garter... found in the 'north west'
I didn't know better till I found this wonderful n awesome site.

[Invisible Snake]

Switching to f/t is easy with young garters, adults may require a little bit more patience, in my experience, I just scent the f/t food with whatever fish they have been previously eating.

[d_virginiana]

I've never had much problem getting any of mine from live to f/t with fish. They seem to recognize the fish smell as food right off.

[ProXimuS]

I've never had much problem getting any of mine from live to f/t with fish. They seem to recognize the fish smell as food right off.

I second that. I have a WC snake and he started eating f/t fish immediately, no problem. Although every snake is going to be different...