Why won't my baby garter eat? Please help!

[charliegirl]

I got a baby Eastern garter from the Puyallup Reptile Show. He's 2.5 months old. The guy said he has been eating earthworms, but hasn't eaten anything since I got him and it has been almost 2 weeks now. He is getting a little thinner. I have two other garters (from a breeder in NC) and they eat within 5 min. of placing food in their habitat. My baby Eastern just plain won't eat. It will drink water, but won't eat. Even when left with food overnight. His habitat temp. is about 75 degrees on the warm end, about 65-70 on the cool end. He has a very clean habitat at all times. ... I don't know what else to do. Anyone have any suggestions? :confused:

[adamanteus]

Have you tried offering different fod items, Tami? Sometimes, with difficult feeder babies, I slightly raise the temps and the humidity for a short time... it often seems to start them off.

[charliegirl]

Besides earthworms, I've tried feeder guppies and reptomin sticks. I will definitely raise the temps and humidity and see if that helps. Thanks for the advice, I hope it turns out to be something as simple as that because I really like this little guy. He's super tame and crawls on my hand when I put my hand in his habitat. Just really likes to be around people.

[Snake lover 3-25]

if you can find a toad or a salamander..... if they are too big you could just scent the food with it.......

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Please, do us all a HUGE favor and don't even consider reptomin turtle sticks. Those are a terrible thing to feed a snake... no offense, just saying in general. I know I saw a guy selling garters on kingsnake saying he was feeding them that.... I cannot see that being anywhere near a good thing for a snake to be eating. It's turtle food for a reason, it's made for turtles, which are omnivores, to eat. Snakes are strictly carnivorous and they should only be eating things made purely of... well... flesh and bone!

I seldom have problems with easterns eating, how are you offering the guppies? try a really shallow white or clear dish so that the fish have to flop around. If you can find one, try scenting a fish or worm with a frog or a tadpole. You could also try throwing the fish into the cage on the ground in front of the snake... all the flopping really gets them going.

[infernalis]

All of Shannon's suggestions, and another thing that sometimes works, get a frozen pinky at the pet store, cut it lengthwise.

Sounds gross, but many Garters will go crazy for the blood and brain fluids.

Best wishes, and good luck with this.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

All of Shannon's suggestions, and another thing that sometimes works, get a frozen pinky at the pet store, cut it lengthwise.

Sounds gross, but many Garters will go crazy for the blood and brain fluids.

Best wishes, and good luck with this.

wayne's right! as gross at it sounds..... my garters really are bloodthirsty! Some of them will not eat a whole pinky but teh moment I cut it or rub it on a sliced one they will munch it!

[charliegirl]

No offense taken. The only reason I feed my snakes reptomin sticks is because the breeder that I got my first two garters from recommended it as a supplement. It makes sense what you say though.. . turtles being omnivores and snakes strictly carnivorous, so I think I will take them off the reptomin. And I will also try putting the fish in shallow water and getting them to flop around. I'm willing to try anything at this point! (Including finding, or trying to find a tadpole. Or frog to scent the fish and worms.)

[charliegirl]

Oh, good idea. Maybe I'll try that before I go out in the back 40 looking for tadpoles! (Luckily I live in the sticks, so if need be, I do have the woods and plenty of streams and rivers at my disposal.)

[jitami]

Welcome! You've gotten great advice so far. Good luck and keep us posted... surely we can figure something out for the little guy!

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum, Tami. You've already gotten good advise on temps and other things to try. I would keep the temps up to 82-85 degrees F. on the warm side.

[Seere121]

You were at the Puyallup reptile show too! I went for both days and caught a few glimpses of the baby eastern garters on the second day, and thought about getting one till i saw the lady from the consignment table walking through with all the rest of them. Then I thought about that big male checkered garter till someone snapped him up too. Then about one of the female albino checkereds till someone snapped them up and ended up coming home with a cute hognose instead.

[Lori P]

Well... that'll show you not to think!!!! LOLOL

[brigitte]

for all my babies i started with cutting up nightcrawlers and talapia into little pieces all mine went nuts over it kinda looks like mush but they loved it!

[charliegirl]

These are all great suggestions. I will keep trying them all. Tried the fish in shallow water thing to get it flopping around. All he did was go over to it and that was about it. Will try again, along with other methods you all have suggested. :)

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like you've got a stuborn little scrub there. May take a while getting used to its new digs. Keep offering and be patient. Just when you think your getting nowhere the little guy will start eating. I had one that didn't eat for over a month and then look out, it was catch-up time.

[Seere121]

Well... that'll show you not to think!!!! LOLOL


Hey! If I wasn't thinking then I wouldn't have found Hoggy!

[Garter_Gertie]

Seere, Lori's just jealous. She LOVES Hoggies - has two. My way of thinking, if not garters then it MUST be a Hoggy! If not a Hoggy, then it MUST be a garter. :)

So, there's really no thinking involved! Win-Win!