Feeding pinky to garter snake

[Radix97]

After buying guppies for a while i thought i would try a cheaper option of using pinky mice, ive scented the mouse with dead fish and worms, ive placed it in his tub, i understand this is new food for him but he hasent eaten it. should i wait overnight? should i container feed him?

[guidofatherof5]

Do you have a pair of hemostats you can offer the pinky to him with?
Remind us again what species you are feeding and approximate size.

[Radix97]

I dont have Hemostats but i do have chopsticks, he's a western garter snake Thamnophis
elegans and is about 10 inches long and a girth of about one inch I keep him in a plastic tub
12x8x4 with a heat mat of 5watts the heat mat gets at its hottest of 84 degrees farenheight.

[guidofatherof5]

10 inches long seems small. Is this an extra small pinky? Might be best to cut up the pinky and offer parts along with fish parts. I'm taking it the snake feeds well on the guppies?
Have you tried night crawlers?

[Radix97]

This is a smaller pinky, I might feed him halves, he feeds very well on
worms and fish, ive yet to see night crawlers though

[guidofatherof5]

If not night crawler then what worms are you feeding?

[Radix97]

i feed regular earthworms i find in the woods nearby (not the red wigglers) i guess theyre nightcrawlers?

[guidofatherof5]

You say tomato, I say tomato:D

Are these small pale looking worms?

Rosy-tipped worm (Aporrectodea rosea) | OPAL (http://www.opalexplorenature.org/Rosytippedworm)

[Radix97]

they MIGHT be except the head is much darker then
the rest of the body, i usually find them in tree bark.

[guidofatherof5]

Any chance you can post a photo?
Worms in tree bark or do you mean under the bark that has fallen on the ground?

[Radix97]

ive finally found out that the worms are Lumbricus terrestris that aren native to my area. Underneath the bark and under bark within fallen trees is where i usually find these guys

[Light of Dae]

Sounds like normal earthworms to me! :)

For teaching your snake to eat a pinky I would do what i always do to trick my snakes into eating something new.

Cut up some worms, about half or less of what you normally feed, then cut the pinky(when frozen so there is no mess) in half or quarters (depending on size of pinky vs size of your snakes head. Place both chopped food items in a shallow dish with a little bit of water to keep the food moist, mix it a little and serve! The snake should clear the plate! Mine sure fall for this! It's how I got them to love Chicken heart!

[guidofatherof5]

ive finally found out that the worms are Lumbricus terrestris that aren native to my area. Underneath the bark and under bark within fallen trees is where i usually find these guys

Good worms.

[ConcinusMan]

Sounds like normal earthworms to me! :)

There are many species of earthworms :cool:

You're sounding like those people that say "it's just a common garter snake" as if they were all the same species.