Will garters eat other snake species?

[Magnarock the 2nd]

I have some baby cornsnakes that I produced and there are some non-eaters, besides my corn collection I have a pretty big lone male garter, Im wondering if he would oppurtinistically eat baby corns. My garter is currently eating a varied diet of fish chunks and pinkies. Thanks for n e input.:)

[katach]

What type of garter do you have? Garters don't typically eat other snakes although I have heard that wandering can be cannibalistic. Sounds like you have a good diet for him already. I wouldn't recommend keep the corns and garter together though, it can stress them unnecessarily. Welcome to the forum family! Can you post a pic of your male?

[Invisible Snake]

I am in the same boat as you with hatchling corns that are non-feeders, I got a few of them eating by warming up a pinkie and then crushing it's head (while inside a sandwich baggy) and placing both the pinky and the corn in a deli cup and leaving it over night in the enclosure. You can also try scenting the pinkies with a small lizard like an anole.

[Magnarock the 2nd]

Yeah well Im still yet to try boiled pinks for my corns. Its an eastern garter, wild caught last year. I don't currently have any pics of him but I could get some soon. I have a Q, how do you get pics from your computer into a url?

[Stefan-A]

Boiled? What?

[Invisible Snake]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html

[guidofatherof5]

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html

That "How to" is outdated with the new software that is being used. We no longer have a "Copy to Clipboard"
Now you need to highlight the size photo you want to post and copy it to your computer clipboard. Then paste it in the thread you want.
I think I will make a "How to" video this week for posting photos. I've been talking about it for a year now and need to get it done.

[Light of Dae]

If the pictures are saved to your computer it is easy.

Click the little icon 'add image'
Main header will say Insert Image just below this there are two tabs
one says 'from computer' the other is 'from URL'
You'll want the one 'from computer'.


When I first used this site it confused me to because it came up wanting a URL from a picture ... lol I was lost for a while.

[Light of Dae]

Yeah well Im still yet to try boiled pinks for my corns. Its an eastern garter, wild caught last year. I don't currently have any pics of him but I could get some soon. I have a Q, how do you get pics from your computer into a url?


Please note; Cooking or boiling the pinkies isn't beneficial. It actually destroys some good stuff that is in the raw pinkie... Also read somewhere that it is harder for snakes to digest cooked meat.(I could be wrong on that but it rings a bell)

For my Kingsnake I just have a cup of hot water n place the mouse in a plastic bag n dip n hold the corner of the bag with the mouse in it, until the mouse is warm all the way through. I take the tip of a knife n poke the head/ears. My king loves her mice this way n always eats the head first n has a much easier time swallowing it then if she tries to eat it backwards or sideways.

[ConcinusMan]

Please note; Cooking or boiling the pinkies isn't beneficial. It actually destroys some good stuff that is in the raw pinkie... Also read somewhere that it is harder for snakes to digest cooked meat.(I could be wrong on that but it rings a bell)

Who's bright idea is it to cook pinkies? There's no reason to do that. And you have it backwards. Cooked is easier to digest. Less metabolic cost and more energy dirived from it. But still, "braining" is usually enough. But don't thaw pinkies directly in water. It's better to thaw them in a bag and not dilute the smell with water. "marinating" them in their own fluids/blood has always did the trick for me, for snakes that resisted eating them.

Still, I don't think that garters will eat baby corns. Maybe you can freeze them and find a better use later, for another creature.

[Light of Dae]

Who's bright idea is it to cook pinkies? There's no reason to do that. And you have it backwards.

He mentioned boiling the mouse...
I am terribly Dyslexic so Backwards lol sounds about right.


But still, "braining" is usually enough. But don't thaw pinkies directly in water. It's better to thaw them in a bag and not dilute the smell with water. "marinating" them in their own fluids/blood has always did the trick for me, for snakes that resisted eating them.

Still, I don't think that garters will eat baby corns. Maybe you can freeze them and find a better use later, for another creature.

Marinating sounds like an awesome idea.

Maybe Scorpions would eat baby corns? My kingsnake would love them lol

[ConcinusMan]

Yes, I'm sure some large arachnids, scorpions, and certainly kingsnakes would adore them.

[katach]

Or you could keep trying to get them to eat and then find loving homes for them....

[norcalj]

Garters don't typically eat other snakes although I have heard that wandering can be cannibalistic.

I don't think that it's just wandering garters that can be cannibalistic. I think that the entire 'western terrestrial' complex has a tendency towards being ophiophagous. A couple of years ago, I had a coast garter that attempted to make a meal out of one of my blue-striped garters.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...I don't like the idea of feeding baby snakes to another animal. I would keep trying to get them to eat...if they die, they die...at least you tried your best.

[thamneil]

Doesn't look like you've got many options on this one. I would just keep trying to feed the corns. Or you could give them to somebody with a kingsnake...

[snake man]

I dont know if feeding them to something else is really the most humane thing...

[ProXimuS]

I would try to get them eating, and if not I guess it's not a bad idea to "not let them go to waste," and feed them to something else...Not saying that would be my # 1 idea, and not trying to take any sides, but think about the little baby mice that we feed to our snakes....Those little guys weren't even given a chance. I would at least give these babies a fighting chance, and if they pass, I guess that would be up to you on what happens then(but I guess not a good idea to give to your garter as previously stated...)

[EasternGirl]

So..we are talking about feeding the cornsnakes to another snake after they pass or before?

[ProXimuS]

Oh, I guess I thought they would do it that way...I didn't even take giving them to something while they were still alive into consideration....I wouldn't do it if they were still living..