eastern blue ribbon snake.

[EXTASY]

i think thats whats it called..
hi I'm new to this forum and garter snakes..
i really need help in trying to feed my ribbon..because he hasn't eaten for more than a week!:eek:
hes over a foot..i think a foot and 3inch or 2inch?
i tried to give him pinkies but nothing. gave him minnows in his water bowl nothing. tried crickets? nothing.
i cant get nightcrawlers here so thats a problem.. i live in Hong Kong by the way. as you can see my ribbon is called extasy.
help me please i really like my snake. never had a snake before.
got it as a present. thanks

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard. :)

It's not uncommon for a snake to wait a week or more before eating for the first time after moving in.

Don't bother with crickets and other insects, they aren't ribbon food. You can possibly get it to take pinkies, but it takes a lot of effort since it's a ribbon snake (specialized in fish, newts and tadpoles). I'd focus on trying to get it to take fish. Are you offering live or dead fish? Live fish, in a shallow bowl with water that doesn't cover the fish entirely and makes them splash around when they swim, might do the trick.

There is a Bluestripe ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus nitae), a subspecies of the Eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus).

[Sid]

Stefan's advice is right on the money. I had a Ribbon in the past and one of his favorite food items was salamanders if you can get any small enough. Welcome to the forum.

[Sputnik]

Don't worry. Most snakes only get fed once a week or even less frequently. I have a garter who's been on hungerstrike for 3 months, but has otherwise been active and alert, she has now finally taken a pinkie. I know how worrying it can be when they refuse food, but really, a week is nothing to be concerned about. :)

[EXTASY]

i tried live minnows..he didnt go for it..
would you advise me to use floating frogs to feed my ribbon?
or what types of newts? fire?:confused:
do i need to keep it in a quarintine? before feeding

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Extasy :)

[Snaky]

You've already given good advice, so:
Welcome from Belgium, have fun here! :)

[drache]

welcome to this forum
don't worry just yet
your snake is still settling in and you've already gotten some great advice
also peruse this
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[GarterGuy]

Welcome to the forum. I agree with the advice that Stephan gave you. Ribbons can be a bit more tricky then other Thamnophis, so have patience with it. Something else to try is to just put a live fish in the bottom of the tank so that it's flopping around. Sometimes the movement will entice the snake to go after it. Also, I'd check you temps. and such and make sure that all the conditions are good for the snake. An "uncomfortable" snake is usually not going to feed well.

[adamanteus]

Hi Issac, and welcome the forum.:)
Stefans' advice is spot on. As others have already said, your snake just needs a little time to settle in.

[enigma200316]

welcome to the forum and good luck.....................:)

[Serpentine99]

best to luck with your snake, and welcome to the forum

[Elliot]

Welcome to the forum. As far as getting them to eat, you could try scenting pinkies, which worked great for my ribbons. They aren't too tricky once you find a food they eat every time you offer it. You can use that food to scent other foods to vary their diets.

[EXTASY]

if i made the fish flop around it would go and be covered in aspen..
is it ok if the ribbon eats the aspen? i tried flopping it around and the snake got interested but i stopped to worry that he would eat the aspen which could kill him...*as seeing if pacmans eat moss
should i put him on something else ?

[adamanteus]

You need to avoid letting your snake swallow the aspen. Maybe feed it in a separate container, or tweezer feed it.

[EXTASY]

he wouldnt want to be tweezer fed..
he wont even catch it in the bowl....:( i have a feeling hes going to pass away................i dont know how to make it eat anything..
i just tried to flop it around but no luck.:( this is gay..
lol i think if he dies i wont be allowed any other snake this is my only one forever until i move to another house.*live by myself..

[tikichick]

I hope he eats for you! And welcome to the forum :)