Are Minnows OK to Feed?

[Jack Neary]

Guys,
Are Minnows OK to feed my larger Garters? Seem like they like Frogs and Minnows best...?
I'm struggling to get my smaller Garters to eat anything...
Thanks!
Jack

[jitami]

Jack, just my opinion, but I think minnows are ok. I would try adding some pinky parts and/or bits of fish fillet to the dish with the minnows and see if they'll eat the other items with the minnows. Eventually you can omit the minnows. Good luck!

[infernalis]

if it gets them fed, yes minnows are cool, no goldfish and rosie reds in moderation. the best are guppies & shiners from a clean water source.

Try offering small worms. if all else fails, pollywogs, toadlets, sometimes slugs, just not the orange ones.

http://www.reformedsniper.net/1/magmaeat.jpg

http://www.reformedsniper.net/1/melanie.jpg

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/radix/mel.jpg

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/radix/magma.jpg

[Snake lover 3-25]

Good luck!!!:D

[Jack Neary]

Jack, just my opinion, but I think minnows are ok. I would try adding some pinky parts and/or bits of fish fillet to the dish with the minnows and see if they'll eat the other items with the minnows. Eventually you can omit the minnows. Good luck!

I tried to get my Garters to take some Pinky parts, but they seem to have no interest??
Jack

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

a diet with only "rosy red" minnows (over time) will have the same effects as if it was fed goldfish for they contain thiaminase

[jitami]

I tried to get my Garters to take some Pinky parts, but they seem to have no interest??
Jack

I think that's normal Jack. Do they take minnows now? Once you have them feeding well on minnows(or worms, or slugs, frogs, etc) then try adding some pinky parts in with the minnows(or whatever it is they like to eat). This won't work for all snakes, but it should work for most.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I dont know about all minnows, but Fathead minnows (rosy reds) are bad.

[Zephyr]

Bad in large amounts, good in small ones. It's all about variety.

[drache]

all the garters I get from Scott are raised on minnows and many of them I can't switch to pinks until they can take full size ones
some will take f/t trout or salmon strips, but again - some won't
so far - knock on wood - I've never had a problem
I still try to get them off the minnows asap though

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I use rosy reds in very small amounts... usually to get a picky eater to eat something! My baby FL blue is very... very.. stubborn... she goes off the trout at random times!

[Jack Neary]

I bought some frozen Talipia fish, which I thawed in the microwave and tried to feed it to each of my 5 Easterns and 3 small Brown snakes with no luck.
None of them show any interest in the Talipia?
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Jack

[count dewclaw]

Try thawing in warm water (in zip-lock type bag) instead of the microwave. I had some easterns for awhile and they ate the tilapia without a problem. You could also try scenting the tilapia until they get used to it.

[ssssnakeluvr]

hmmm....alll mine take the tilapia just fine....just leave it in for the afternoon, may be a while before they want to eat....

[infernalis]

Brown snakes (Dekay brown, Storeria dekayi ) exclusivly eat Slugs, snails and small earthworms.

We have kept and bred this species for years, and I have never seen them show any interest in fish, pinky parts or anything else.

So they will starve & let that tilapia rot in the cage before they would eat it.

If your dekays are fully grown, the "panfish" worms at wal mart work great.

No one should ever have any problem feeding a dekay, I can catch one in the wild, and have it eating ten minutes after I bring it in the house.

http://www.reformedsniper.net/snakes/images/hpim0377.jpg



http://www.reformedsniper.net/snake/slug.jpg

[Jack Neary]

Try thawing in warm water (in zip-lock type bag) instead of the microwave. I had some easterns for awhile and they ate the tilapia without a problem. You could also try scenting the tilapia until they get used to it.

LeAnn,
Could you please explain what you mean by "scenting" the Talipia?
Thanks!

[Jack Neary]

Brown snakes (Dekay brown, Storeria dekayi ) exclusivly eat Slugs, snails and small earthworms.

We have kept and bred this species for years, and I have never seen them show any interest in fish, pinky parts or anything else.

So they will starve & let that tilapia rot in the cage before they would eat it.

If your dekays are fully grown, the "panfish" worms at wal mart work great.

No one should ever have any problem feeding a dekay, I can catch one in the wild, and have it eating ten minutes after I bring it in the house.

http://www.reformedsniper.net/snakes/images/hpim0377.jpg



http://www.reformedsniper.net/snake/slug.jpg

Wayne,
I have had no problems feeding my Easterns worms and minnows. However, I have yet to actually see one of my 3 Browns eat a worm in the past 3 weeks. I also tried feeding my Browns slugs, which they showed no interest as well....?

[infernalis]

Very odd, I will reply better in a bit, but if I don't post something now, it will be "read" and move away from the top of the page.

[Zephyr]

Depending on what sex you have, and the personality of the individual, it may take awhile. My female at the day I got her; the male took a couple weeks of convincing. First, I offered him slugs by carefully opening the tank and placing them in front of his face. Once they started moving he scarfed them down. Next was slugs from tweezers. After that came little bits of worms. Finally, I converted him into a killing machine. He takes whole worms from my fingers now.

[SpyrotheGartersnake]

for the male eastern i caught a week ago during my trip to maine didn't eat any thing while we were still there but when we got home i gave it a piece of trout but first i held him and genlty rub the piece on his mouth first he just started to put his tongue to it tasting it then he took the hole piece

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

wayne you say that... but me, the MASTER of getting snakes to eat... has never been able to get a dekay's snake to eat!!!! ever!!! its crazy!

[Zephyr]

Dekay's a real sweethearts Shannon. Once they get to know you they'll eat anything from your fingers. ;P

[GartersRock]

Wayne's a real sweetheart... :D lol!! JK :p

[infernalis]

Awe Thank you;) I try

[infernalis]

Wayne you say that... but me, the MASTER of getting snakes to eat... has never been able to get a dekay's snake to eat!!!! ever!!! its crazy!

I am at a loss Shannon. I hand feed mine just fine??? My girl Xena will sit in one hand and eat from the other.

This spring I was out back watering the motocross track when I accidentally hit a dekay point blank with a fire hose, I shut it off, ran over and picked this poor guy up, still dazed and confused from his ordeal, I felt it best to bring him in and watch over it for a while.

That night he plucked 4 small slugs right off the end of a stick for me.

I named him "freedom" and after a week of making sure he was OK, I let him go back out in the land of milk and honey.

What I do is take a medical q-tip the kind with a long wooden stick, and cut off the cotton end at a 45 degree angle, then roll the slug onto it, the sticky secretions from the slug will cause it to cling to the stick.

Then I take the slug and gently wave it right in front of the face, and they pluck the slug off every time.

I'll photo the process, and post em for all to see.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

MAYBE I am picking up really bad tasting slugs?

should I start tasting them before I feed?

[Garter_Gertie]

Dekay is a sweethart. No discussion.

[count dewclaw]

LeAnn,
Could you please explain what you mean by "scenting" the Talipia?
Thanks!

You take something - worm or minnow - that the snake will eat and rub it on the tilapia so that it smells like what they are used to eating. Or if you are feeding live minnows you could put pieces of tilapia in with the minnows.

[infernalis]

MAYBE I am picking up really bad tasting slugs?

should I start tasting them before I feed?

EWE, When I gather up a ton, the smell alone is sickening.

Then last winter, breeding and raising slugs in the basement for food, what a trip that was! every time I opened up the chest they were in, I'd have to hold my breath while I harvested them.

Shanon, try this with that little one that belongs to the boy, place some grass, real honest to goodness grass, yank it up out in the yard. all over the bottom of the enclosure, mist it and then dump in some slugs.

Go away and leave it alone, check the next day, they should be gone.

[Zephyr]

Or, as I found out and my mother dearest regrets, cut a hunk of sod out of the lawn and put it in a container for your dekay's to live in. XD

[infernalis]

Bad in large amounts, good in small ones. It's all about variety.


Live guppies can be ordered through pet stores, and 10 gallon set ups are cheap. Guppies cost about the same as rosies, and with a swarm of them, there is no shortages.

Whenever you find any dead ones, feed them or freeze them for future feedings.

So with all those new babies Jack, it may be wise to set up for 100 minnows at a time.