Slugs

[Stefan-A]

Has anybody tried feeding their garters slugs?

I'm especially interested in testing Limax cinereoniger and Arion lusitanicus (Spanish slug), but I'd like to hear what other people think about the idea.

[Sid]

Has anybody tried feeding their garters slugs?

I'm especially interested in testing Limax cinereoniger and Arion lusitanicus (Spanish slug), but I'd like to hear what other people think about the idea.

I've tried with my T. s sirtalis and they showed no interest at all. I have heard of others having success.

Sid

[adamanteus]

I have used slugs on several occasions, I'd have to look up the scientific name of the one they seem to like best...it's the little fawn/beige one. I've fed them to several species, but ordinoides were the most willing in my experience.

[drache]

I'm not up on my slug species
but I did try feeding slugs to my garters and they were small brown slugs (ca 1.5" long found in the evening on a Halloween pumpkin)
none of my snakes (T. e. vagrans and T. s. parietalis) were interested
they're bigger now though
I wonder whether that makes a difference

[ssssnakeluvr]

I used ot feed my wandering slugs by the dozen!

[Odie]

My ordinoides seem to like slugs the girl more then the boys ;)

[CrazyHedgehog]

I really hate slugs, (partly because they are eating my veg in the garden quicker than I can:eek: ) so I have no qualms about killing them!

can I wash them first so that they don't slime up my tanks?
Are any slugs poisonus? (so I don't get it totally wrong!)
Can you freeze them?:confused:

[GarterGirl]

Every Halloween
there are hundreds
of slugs crawling all
over the pumpkins
outside. The snakes
never seem to be
interested.
This year,
I hope the snakes
are interested.
We got several
new snakes since
last Halloween
so surely one of
them will eat slugs.

Well anyway...
We'll try again next year
and I'll tell you whether
the snakes eat them or
not.

[KITKAT]

Some of my snakes love slugs, while others ignore them.

SHRUG...

[Lee]

I haven't noticed any slugs on our vegi garden yet ... No free food for me.

[CrazyHedgehog]

eeeeeeeewwwwwwww...

OK, I went out with my torch, a small plastic bucket and spade....
I collected loads of slugs from my garden...
(the snails I found went for a sky ride...weeeeeeeeee into the field...)

I plonked them on little dishes in the tanks and sat back and watched...

Yes the snakes seemed interested, yes they tried, then they went dashing round the tank with their mouths open full of slug slime....
The slugs dissipated around the tanks....

There is slime everywhere....
on the fake plants, the houses, the glass, even like snot in the water dishes....
It has taken me about an hour to collect them all again and try and clean up the slime, .....

but the slime is like glue... it doesn't just rinse off...I tried using a scrubby sponge... that filled with slime and just spread it about....

Eeeeeeeewwwww yuk yuk yuk..will DEFINATELY NOT be doing that again!!

[Lulu Bennett]

eyyywwwwww! better you than me i'm afraid lol i can't stand slugs for that fact i would perfer to stick to pinkies n fish lol

[CrazyHedgehog]

I know...eeeeww again!!! just thought I would add some variety....eeeewwww never again..:(

[Lulu Bennett]

awww poor you:(

[KITKAT]

eeeeeeeewwwwwwww...

There is slime everywhere....
on the fake plants, the houses, the glass, even like snot in the water dishes....
It has taken me about an hour to collect them all again and try and clean up the slime, .....

but the slime is like glue... it doesn't just rinse off...I tried using a scrubby sponge... that filled with slime and just spread it about....



Try a mixture of salt and vinegar to clean the slime off.

[Lulu Bennett]

i have just remembered the salt but didn't think of vinigar lol will the vinigar really work?

[KITKAT]

i have just remembered the salt but didn't think of vinigar lol will the vinigar really work?

It should. Let us know. And if you have any left, sprinkle it over some chips and send them to me!:D

[GrapefruiTgirl]

For the record, I had been trying to offer slugs to my pallidulus garter for some time after first getting her, and she showed no interest at all. Repeated attempts failed.
Meanwhile, the slugs were occasionally escaping from the container where I was keeping them :D and making looooong straight lines across the floor in random directions.
If you're interested, a big slug goes about 10 feet overnight ;) hehehe.
Too bad there's no market for them; I could gather them by the dozens, day or night!

[Lori P]

eeeeeeeewwwwwwww...

OK, I went out with my torch, a small plastic bucket and spade....
I collected loads of slugs from my garden...
(the snails I found went for a sky ride...weeeeeeeeee into the field...)

I plonked them on little dishes in the tanks and sat back and watched...

Yes the snakes seemed interested, yes they tried, then they went dashing round the tank with their mouths open full of slug slime....
The slugs dissipated around the tanks....

There is slime everywhere....
on the fake plants, the houses, the glass, even like snot in the water dishes....
It has taken me about an hour to collect them all again and try and clean up the slime, .....

but the slime is like glue... it doesn't just rinse off...I tried using a scrubby sponge... that filled with slime and just spread it about....

Eeeeeeeewwwww yuk yuk yuk..will DEFINATELY NOT be doing that again!!

I'm sorry... I'm sitting here giggling my butt off as I picture this... ok, note to self, slugs baaaaad!!!!! LOL

[CrazyHedgehog]

i'm scarred for life....still having nightmares!!!:eek:

(shudders....)

[drache]

For the record, I had been trying to offer slugs to my pallidulus garter for some time after first getting her, and she showed no interest at all. Repeated attempts failed.
Meanwhile, the slugs were occasionally escaping from the container where I was keeping them :D and making looooong straight lines across the floor in random directions.
If you're interested, a big slug goes about 10 feet overnight ;) hehehe.
Too bad there's no market for them; I could gather them by the dozens, day or night!

there may not be a market for them, but you could use them in other ways

Hate housework? Can't find a reliable cleaner? Try a slug. (http://www.anapsid.org/slugcleaner.html)

[GrapefruiTgirl]

Fascinating :) gotta get me some slugs for sure!

[Lori P]

Poor Hedgehog... we better start a Traumatic Therapy thread for things such as slug attacks and disemboweling pinkies and snakes who won't shed.... LOL

[infernalis]

Slugs are a normal part of everyday life in this house.

Never fed them to my Garters though.....

[reptileparadise]

I've tried it a couple of times, and they where eaten almost in every occasion.
I use very small, honey colored slugs.

Even fed a snail to a parietalis once. Had to crack its little house open though...

[infernalis]

Dekayi snakes can pull the snail right out of it's shell.

[reptile3]

Dekayi snakes can pull the snail right out of it's shell.


Would love to see that!!! WOW :D

[infernalis]

I just did some looking around, and I guess it's up to me to be the first to photograph this.

Hell here is my chance to leave a mark on the reptile world after all, There is nothing more data wise than the same old rehash from "Ditmars" and about 3 other authors.

No one has documented the pinky parts feeding, and I have set aside a couple "control subjects" who will not receive any pinky parts.

I want to document long term effects of a rodent diet. Will they grow larger? produce more or less offspring? will the neonates be more robust?

All questions only time will tell.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

much like the little snail eating snake... the dekay's and the red bellies have a tiny little round nose and lips that curl up to better expose their teeth that help to deshell a snail... ever notice how they curl their lips up when they eat and the way that thy move their mouths?! its weird... haha!

[infernalis]

I love watching a pack of little Dekayi's yanking snails out.

They latch on to the soft snail, and drag the shell all over the place till the snail lets go of the shell.

[infernalis]

Well just for fun, I offered a few garters slugs last night.

The ordinoids ignored slugs entirely, Never responded.

Lurch the Butlers, he went nuts, tried like hell to eat it, but it just kept slipping out of his mouth. So I gave it to a Dekayi, and gave all the garters some tilapia.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/1slug.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/2slug.jpg

[Lori P]

I offered slugs to the garters once. Mrs. Mordecai tried to eat one, got slimed, and spent the next 45 minutes rubbing the slime off. So I never tried again!! She acted soooooo disgusted!!

[guidofatherof5]

I have a few Radixs that will eat slugs but it's been a learning experience for them. If it were a larger slug and they grabbed it by the head. The slug would pull into a ball and slime them. It would just slide out of their mouth. So they grab them from the back and down they go.
I have others that give one try and that's enough. They refused to eat them after they've been slimed.

[reptile3]

I offered slugs to the garters once. Mrs. Mordecai tried to eat one, got slimed, and spent the next 45 minutes rubbing the slime off. So I never tried again!! She acted soooooo disgusted!!

She had to make sure she was still looking gorgeous!!:D

[anji1971]

I learned early on that garters usually don't take well to being slimed. I tried it with Dojo, my first one. She was not impressed.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I have had wanderings pound slugs like they are going out of style....I guess they have access to more of them due to their habits of not being near ponds and streams, may have longer teeth to hold them????

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Possibly don... cause let me tell you.... The wandering garters are the beasts of the garter snake world IMO.... Ever since I got these hypermels I have learned that wanderings DO NOT MESS AROUND. They will bite at me through the glass in I just wave my hand in front of them. When it's feeding time, they zip around like wild crazy snakes and will bite ANYTHING, the plant, pieces of mulch.... their cagemates... me... emtpy tongs.... they REALLY REALLY like to eat. More that any of the other garters!!!!

[ssssnakeluvr]

Possibly don... cause let me tell you.... The wandering garters are the beasts of the garter snake world IMO.... Ever since I got these hypermels I have learned that wanderings DO NOT MESS AROUND. They will bite at me through the glass in I just wave my hand in front of them. When it's feeding time, they zip around like wild crazy snakes and will bite ANYTHING, the plant, pieces of mulch.... their cagemates... me... emtpy tongs.... they REALLY REALLY like to eat. More that any of the other garters!!!!
LOL!!!!! wish some of my others would be that ravenous at feeding time... :D

my little holdback female decided she is done eating for a bit....probably gonna have to put in brumation for a couple weeks..

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

haha seriously they act like they are on crack anytime I go near the cage. All the other garters are calm and collected but all the wanderings are slowly carving through the glass wih their teeth. one day I think they plan to escape and eat ME!!!!

I am going to have to videotape their insanity!:D

[ssssnakeluvr]

lol!!! cool...I want to see the videos.....will show them to mine so they can see how they are supposed to act!!!!

[Hornets23]

I tried feeding slugs to my similis and radix and neither showed any interest whatsoever.

[infernalis]

That's partly why I never really tried, I have a couple tanks with Dekayi snakes and garters housed together, I could shovel a bucket of slugs into those cages, and only the Dekayi snakes would eat.

The reverse holds true with fish & pinkies....

Worms, look out food fight!