Completely clueless...

[Hatter1214]

I'd been wanting a snake for a while, but various finances have kept me back. However, last friday (11/2) a friend of my mother's gave me an Eastern Ribbon Snake. Unfortunately, I'm starting to get worried. He's not eating (I don't know when he was last fed, he hasn't eaten once since I got him on Friday) and I honestly don't know what to feed him. I got him some feeder fish at the pet store, and am planning on going back tomorrow so I can try crickets. Three of the feeder fish currently reside in his (dechlorinated) water bowl.

Is this normal? I'm also looking for an exotic pet veterinarian in the area, so I can get him checked. I want to be a good owner, but I have little to no experience in the care and keeping of snakes. Do you have any advice for me? There's a chance he might've been taken from the wild as well, I've never met the man who gave it to me (as I said, my mother's friend, and he has a busy schedule) and I'm not quite sure what to do.

[Stefan-A]

Don't bother with crickets. They aren't garter/ribbon food.

It's not uncommon for snakes to refuse food for several days after moving in. I assume it has a hide and that the temperatures are okay?

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

depending on size garters can go a long time without food one week i wouldn't be worried unless its baby, Make sure you get rosy minnows instead of goldfish, goldfish are bad for them, they will not eat crickets usually garters wont eat for a while when they are getting settled into a new home

I'd been wanting a snake for a while, but various finances have kept me back. However, last friday (11/2) a friend of my mother's gave me an Eastern Ribbon Snake. Unfortunately, I'm starting to get worried. He's not eating (I don't know when he was last fed, he hasn't eaten once since I got him on Friday) and I honestly don't know what to feed him. I got him some feeder fish at the pet store, and am planning on going back tomorrow so I can try crickets. Three of the feeder fish currently reside in his (dechlorinated) water bowl.

Is this normal? I'm also looking for an exotic pet veterinarian in the area, so I can get him checked. I want to be a good owner, but I have little to no experience in the care and keeping of snakes. Do you have any advice for me? There's a chance he might've been taken from the wild as well, I've never met the man who gave it to me (as I said, my mother's friend, and he has a busy schedule) and I'm not quite sure what to do.

[Hatter1214]

I don't think he's a baby (somewhere in the area of 12-15 inches), he has a place to hide away, and the man who gave it to me and my mother okayed the temperatures (both Biology professors).

I also have a few questions about variety in his diet. I've heard lots of things abut feeding ribbons, but one of the things that concerned me was the conflicting amounts of variety mentioned. Will he get a complete diet off of fish, or will I need other things like fish-scented pinkies?

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum. The information you've been given already is good. As much as you can for the next few days try not to disturbe the new Ribbon too much. Give it a chance to "settle in". Nothing to worry about at this point.

[adamanteus]

Hi Madeline, and welcome to the forum:). As others have already stated, no need to worry about feeding for a good few days. We have several members who keep Ribbons, so you're in good company!

[drache]

Hi Madeleine
and welcome to this forum
which part of the country do you live in?
maybe someone here knows of a vet near you
there are also some herp vet directories on the web
enjoy your snake

[Hatter1214]

Alrighty, that soothes my mind a fair bit. And to answer, I live in north Texas. I also have a contact who keeps snakes by trade (not sure how he makes money from it, is probably a breeder) who I can turn to for further help.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Lori P]

Madeline, welcome to the forum. You will get all the help you need here!! Like everyone said, let him settle for a bit yet... I am still learning myself, but one thing I've found is that my one picky garter who only wants live minnows has started to take bits of chopped up pinky (frozen/thawed and then chopped) if put in a shallow water bowl WITH the live minnows. But I think the key is to get him eating first, and then try to get him onto pinkies after he is eating regularly. I am getting a ribbon snake too, we can share ideas!!!! :-)

[GarterGirl]

wElCoMe tO tHe fOrUm!!!!

[anji1971]

Welcome to the forum!! You'll learn lots and have fun here!:):)

[enigma200316]

Welcome to the forum......................:)

[Elliot]

Congrats on the new snake, I love my ribbons, but they can be pretty jumpy. A diet of pinkies and fish should be just fine, a little bit of a multivitamin supplement maybe once a month probably wouldn't hurt either.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Madeleine :)

[Snaky]

Welcome to the forum :)
Like others said, don't worry for now and let him settle in...

If you're new to garters, these articles are some interesting reading to start with ;) :
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Thiamin,

[Hatter1214]

Out of curiosity, around what point should I be worried if he's still not eating? His little feeder fish have been in the bowl for a few days now, and I'm thinking of getting a shallower water dish so he can see his fish.

[Lori P]

Can you put a clear glass dish in there? That works great for mine... :-) They will spend some time trying to get "through" the glass but then they figure out they have to go over the rim.

[Hatter1214]

I've got a clear glass dish in there, it's been there for the past two days, but he's still not eating. Is this the sort of thing where he'll eat when he's hungry enough? Should I just keep a supply of food ready? Because we're down to one fish out of the original three (other two went belly-up), and I think that one's going to kick it soon too. I'll get more if it's necessary, but I want to know at what point I should be concerned. It's been a week and three days now, and I'm wondering how long a 12-inch snake can keep this up.

[drache]

a week and three days is not that long
my twelve inch snakes only get fed once a week anyway
I'm not sure how long exactly they can last, but don't panic just yet
also
it's probably better not to leave the food in the enclosure all the time
I'd offer something every three days or so and start panicking after about a month

[Lori P]

Is he even showing interest in the fish-- watching them, hanging over the bowl??

[Hatter1214]

He's poked his nose at the glass at least once whenever he comes out of his hide, and I've seen him go over the bowl, but the fish remains untouched.

[RZL36]

My trick is cover the tank with a towel and leave it be. It will eat.

Another thing I do is actually drop the snake in the bowl. Probably not the best thing to do and the reasons not to do it are pretty apparent, but they dart out of the water and go right back in when they think you are not looking.

[Cazador]

Hi Madeline,

First, I should say that I've never raised ribbons, but I have a few tricks that work well with garters. Maybe they'll help you. The standard advise is to make sure the snake has everything it needs (proper temperature, plenty of hiding places, proper photoperiod, etc.). If you've covered the fundamentals (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet), the next step is to offer food and walk away. Giving privacy often works, but not always because some snakes are a pain in the rear to get started eating in captivity.

- Reluctant eaters often hold out for 10 days to two weeks before eating, so yours will probably take food soon. Some very stubborn ones won't eat for 3-4 weeks, but then it's time for more invasive measures. You're not there yet.

- Don't let live fish remain in the food/water bowl for more than about 3 hours at a time. They should be removed because they foul the water by increasing the nitrogen levels with their waste and depleting the dissolve oxygen levels. Just add the fish when it's feeding time, and make sure you've read the article on thiaminase (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Thiamin,).

- Fill a water bottle (or similar) with water. Then slowly pour it into the water dish. The sound of sprinkling/splashing water is very exciting to garters. It's all the better if you pour it through a screen lid because it increases the splashing vibrations.

- If it's attracted by the sprinkling water, add a fish to the dish, but keep the water level low enough that the fish's back is exposed. It'll cause the fish to splash/flop around and help with the excitement level.

- If you're still not having luck, raise the temperature into the mid-to-upper 80s. Keep it below about 90F, though. Then offer different food items. Maybe others can suggest food items that ribbon snakes love, but when I have finnicky garters, I offer worms, live splashing fish, fish chunks, and meat (on different days). I have the best luck getting problem garters to eat worms and live fish, though.

- Remember to replace the water in the water bowl, and don't let food remain in there for too long. Keep us posted on your progress, okay? Best of luck,

Rick

[Hatter1214]

It'll be two weeks tomorrow and he still hasn't eaten. Would it be better for him, at this point, to just get released back into the wild? I'd hate to lose him, but if it's for his own good I'm willing to do it.

And I'm going out of town on Saturday for thanksgiving, and all our other pets are going with us. I want to be able to give him proper care, but at this stage I'm not sure if I can.

Would he be better on his own in the wild?

[Hatter1214]

Alrighty, back to square one... Maybe.

I've been told he's not a ribbon snake, but a line snake. I did a few quick searches, but nothing comes up... it's like they don't even exist! He's about 12 inches long, mint green with one solid yellow stripe going down his back, with two others on the fourth scale row down on either side, and a checkered underbelly. He doesn't have the typical ribbon snake "spot" on his forehead, and he's very nervous and will release musk when he's afraid. No way to provide pics at the time, but I'm beginning to wonder if he's been correctly identified.

Now, from what I've heard line snakes only eat worms, but once again, I have no information in documented form to back this up considering that under online searches they don't even seem to exist.

I have nightcrawlers on hand, so out of desperation I put one in the cage with him. He freaked out, and I honestly don't blame him, considering it was half his size.

I can get people to feed him while I'm away, there's just the simple problem of WHAT to feed him, and what he is in the first place.

Does anyone know anything about line snakes, or what might fit his description? I'm getting a tad desperate here... I know things'll go much smoother if we could just get him to EAT...

[Stefan-A]

Lined snake, Tropidoclonion lineatum.

A very quick google search says that it's an earthworm eater. Smaller worms maybe? :D

[Hatter1214]

Thanks a ton, this has been driving me crazy.

Yes, we'll get a bowl of worms to put in his cage tomorrow, and he'll be looked after when we leave.

*sigh* No wonder he hasn't been eating the fish. I thought he might not be a ribbon snake, because some things didn't match (no spot on the head, uncheckered central stripe), but I couldn't think of what else he might be.

Alrighty... now that we're feeding him right, things should go much better... thanks so much to everyone, and I'll post back if there are any problems.

Also, it occurred to me one thing I never mentioned, partially because it's been up in debate for a week or so- The snake's name is Quinn Mallory, shortened to Quinn or Mal, depending on which family member you ask.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

no pics?? :(

[Stefan-A]

Also, it occurred to me one thing I never mentioned, partially because it's been up in debate for a week or so- The snake's name is Quinn Mallory, shortened to Quinn or Mal, depending on which family member you ask.
Sliders? :)

I'm not saying this just to satisfy Reed's curiosity ;) , but pictures would be great, so that we could verify that it really is a lined snake.

[Hatter1214]

Yep. All of my snake shall henceforth be named after characters from Sliders.

And no, I honestly have no possible way to get pictures. The digital camera is busted, and none of our cell phones have cameras. However, the description for the line snake fits him completely.

Not to mention, before I left I gave him an earthworm, and it was gone within minutes. I'm taking this as a good sign.

However, I'm probably getting a new phone for my birthday, so if you can stand to wait a few weeks I'm sure I could get them then.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

ya we can as long as u promise to remeber :D

[drache]

Not to mention, before I left I gave him an earthworm, and it was gone within minutes. I'm taking this as a good sign.

excellent
congrats

[anji1971]

Glad things are falling into place for you! Looking forward to seeing pics of Quinn Mallory! I've never heard of a lined snake until now!:)

[kaneman]

we are in the same situation here..... we caught a wild garter,probably the eastern variety?.... black and yellow stripes.... aproximently 16 inches long late august 07.... have not noticed (he/she?) eating.... have tried crickets... minnows.... small pinkies (1 appeared to possibly have been eaten... the other fed 2 weeks later has not been touched and was removed later. The snake has occasionally appeared to burrow under the substrate possibly pursuing the worms that were placed in there but has not been observed to eat.... yet appears relatively active and healthy... is there a source for small frogs/amphibs?

[adamanteus]

Hi Kane, and welcome to the forum:). Three months is a long time for your snake not to eat. Have you checked on your temperatures etc? There's no point in offering crickets as food.... Garters don't eat them. Have a read through this, it will give you a good grounding for the correct conditions you should be providing for your Garter;
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[Cazador]

Hi Kane, and welcome to the forum. My first thoughts when reading your post were the same as James'. I was wondering if your temperature was adequate. If your snake isn't in winter mode (fasting and brumating), the temperature should be somewhere in the mid-70s to mid-80s F. At the first sign of illness, you can bump the temp up to near 90F, but it's not good to leave the temperature that high on a daily basis. Anyway, if the snake's temperature isn't right, it won't eat regularily. The link that James provided should get you on the right track, though. Kind regards,

Rick

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Kane :)

[reganngo]

Welcome in this forums you can get answers from all your questions enjoy:)