Nightcrawlers?

[Reptilia]

I've been noticing a good few people feed their garters these nightcrawlers, but I have no idea what they are! Are they worms? Or fish? or something totally different!

AND, does anyone know if I can get them in the uk?

[guidofatherof5]

Night crawler = Lobworms
Biology of the Night Crawler (Lumbricus terrestris) (http://www.naturenorth.com/fall/ncrawler/ncrawlF.html)
WormBait.co.uk: lobworms :: Supplier of Mail-Order Worm Bait across the UK (http://www.wormbait.co.uk/lobworms)

[Reptilia]

Oh right! Would A snake eat one per sitting or more?

[snake man]

Depends on size for my babies i give little chunks untill a nice bulge.

[guidofatherof5]

Oh right! Would A snake eat one per sitting or more?

My snake will pack them in. It all depends on the size of the snake and the size of the worms.
Worms pass through quickly but are a good food source.
I feed a 70% worm diet and my wild population eat worms almost exclusively.

[Reptilia]

Hmm, I want to try them so they get a varied diet but both have been on strictly fish, so I might let them settle in then try experimenting with them!

[guidofatherof5]

Most garter love worms. You might have to do some scenting(with fish) at first but after a short time they will probably take them readily. The only snake I have to scent for is my Ribbon Snake.

[Invisible Snake]

Hmm, I want to try them so they get a varied diet but both have been on strictly fish, so I might let them settle in then try experimenting with them!

If you don't feed pinks to your garters you might want to start lightly dusting their fish/worms with a reptile vitamin or calcium supplement.

[chris-uk]

You'll find lob worms in any fishing shop in the UK, or get digging in the garden. I've only fed them once, but may have another go with them now that I have cool places to keep them.
When I tried my garters on worms more than half of them took the worms without scenting.

[Reptilia]

If you don't feed pinks to your garters you might want to start lightly dusting their fish/worms with a reptile vitamin or calcium supplement.

They have vitamins :) I made a mistake, the male is on pinkies once a month, but still using vitamins :)

[Reptilia]

I didn't know they were lobworms, lol! I've used them for fishing before. I just think it would be cool to try something different! :)

[guidofatherof5]

I didn't know they were lobworms, lol! I've used them for fishing before. I just think it would be cool to try something different! :)

Cool or not worms are full of goodness for garter snakes and are a great addition to a balanced diet.;)

[Reptilia]

Well, of course there's that too! :p

[ProXimuS]

The only snake I have to scent for is my Ribbon Snake.

I wonder if Proximus will be that way....It was like an act of congress to finally get him to eat a couple worm chunks:rolleyes:

[Steveo]

My babies were started on fish, then I moved them to pinky parts, and just recently started offering worms. The worms seem to be the most appetizing because they disappear in just a few minutes.

The exception is that my puget won't touch the worms, so on worm day she gets a treat of live guppies instead.

[infernalis]

beat me to it Steve.

I have been corrected on UK forums so many times that "lobworms" has become normal vocabulary for me.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Well learn something everyday; I did not know that earth worms and lobworms were the same thing! Am sure they are really cheaP in the fishing shop!

[chris-uk]

Am sure they are really cheaP in the fishing shop!

I wouldn't say cheap... my local fishing shop sells tubs of 10 for £1.99, the worms were quite large and too large for a yearling to take in one go.
Which, I suppose isn't too bad when I pay £2.50 for a pack of frozen lance fish from my local fish shop (as treats the pack has lasted me quite a long time now), and around 25p for each pinky.

[gregmonsta]

I always recommend these guys - Fishing Worms and Bait - Lobworms | Worms Direct (http://www.wormsdirectuk.co.uk/acatalog/lobworms.html)

P.S. .... a fellow Scot?!?!?! Now I am amazed!

[CrazyHedgehog]

so just quickly then, nightcrawlers = lobworm = earthworms...
Are there any benefits to feeding bought lobworms against digging them up in my garden..

I suppose you are sure not to get any red wrigglers caught up, :eek: but are there less likely to be any nasty bugs for your snakes or are garden earthworms just as safe if I wash the dirt off?

[-MARWOLAETH-]

There's only one Welsh word for worm (mwydyn). So All these English words for worms always confuse me.What is the difference between lob worms, earthworms and night crawlers?

[guidofatherof5]

I think some of the words used are interchangeable by the different parts of the country.
I've grown up calling the large dark worms night crawlers and the small pale, lightly colored worms earthworms.
Lobworm and night crawlers are Lumbricus terrestis.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

when digging for worms in the garden I only find small pale worms with stubbly ends and park red to purple worms that are bigger and have pointier ends.Are the darker pointier ones lob worms and the paler ones earthworms?

[Stefan-A]

small pale worms with stubbly ends
Common field worm, Allolobophora caliginosa, most likely.

Here's a very old video of a garter eating some.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-my3GMIXE

[-MARWOLAETH-]

what happened to your parientalis?

[Stefan-A]

what happened to your parientalis?
Dead. December 25, 2008. Went off feed, stayed off feed for a very long time, I tried to brumate it (her) for a short while to get it to snap out of it, it developed a respiratory infection and died a couple of days after coming out.

The male died a year earlier.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I'm sorry to hear it.

[Reptilia]

So, see how some people cut up the worms (being too large or whatever else) the worms die presumably, and the snake will still eat them happily? What do you do with the worms to keep them? In the fridge?

(Sorry about your parientalis, Stefan!)

A fellow Scot with Florida blues?! Oh, happy days! Hehe.

[Stefan-A]

Thanks, and it's parietalis.

[Reptilia]

Heh, I was just copying. I'm horrendous with Latin names. Mostly the reason I stay clear of tarantulas! :p

[gregmonsta]

A fellow Scot with Florida blues?! Oh, happy days! Hehe.

Looks like I'm about to post something that'll make you happy ;)

[Reptilia]

Oh, lucky me!