Questions about new garter

[GarterNovice]

I just got a baby garter snake recently and have a few questions. One thing is he will only eat minnows. Is not interested in anything else. Is there anything I can do to tempt him? Any advice on feeding? How wide do garters get? Do they prefer to be with other garters? or alone?

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard. :)

You can try to get the snake to eat pinkies or worms, by putting them in the same bowl as the minnows. With a little luck, it'll grab and swallow one of those instead of a minnow and gradually learn to consider these other items food as well.

How wide they grow, depends on the sex and the species. Some are especially slender, others relatively massively built.

They get along well with other garters, but if you're going to keep more than one, they all have to be the same sex or the same species, not because they prefer it that way, but because nobody needs hybrids. They also shouldn't have too much of a size difference, because there's always a slight risk that the smaller one ends up as dinner.

[infernalis]

Welcome to the forum..

If your snake is eating minnows, your already half way there. How big is your snake now??

As for housing them together, Garter snakes are one of the more tolerant species, they will "get along" for the most part..

You will have to feed them separately or risk food fights that can get messy or even fatal.

[Garter_Gertie]

Welcome, Novice! Nice to have you join us!

[anji1971]

Hello, and welcome!:)

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome,

If you cut-up one of your minnows and mix it with pinkies or worms your snake should eat everything. Use less and less minnow everytime and you should be able to convert to what you want. The problem with an all minnow diet is the Thiaminase in most minnows. This will cause major health problems and eventually death if it's the only thing you feed. Hope this helps.

[Snake lover 3-25]

hello and welcome to the forum:D garters love worms and they're full of protein so i'd try some of those :D good luck

[adamanteus]

Hi Patrick, and welcome to the forum.:)

Here's some information you should find useful
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[GarterNovice]

Wow. Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and all the helpful info. In answer to someone's question I think "he" is approximately a foot and a half long at the moment and about a 3/8" thick.

I do have another question. Is anyone familiar with phoenix worms? And if so have you had any success feeding them to your snakes? I see lots of good reviews for feeding them to bearded dragons and other various reptiles. But no mention of snakes anywhere.

[crzy_kevo]

welcome to the forum patrick nothing is left to be said as how to get your snake to eat other things every1 has already covered that have fun here and we love pics :d

[jitami]

Welcome :)

[drache]

welcome to the forum, Patrick

phoenix worms are insects - crunchy on the outside - and not good garter food

[infernalis]

It's best to stick with the food items listed on the care sheets.;)

[GarterNovice]

Good to know. Thanks again everyone:)

[GarterNovice]

I was just wondering what kind of Garter I have. Can anyone tell me? Here's a pic.
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/bhoran84/Pics073.jpg

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow very long..... i think it's a ribbon..... have a pic of it's head??? from the side??? does it have a small white rectangle in front of it's eye???

[ssssnakeluvr]

looks like a ribbon....they eat mainly fish

[Snake lover 3-25]

sweet i'm good at this!!!:eek:

[reptile3]

Hello & Welcome! Your snake is very nice looking..:)

[Hornets23]

Nice snake Patrick :)

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Patrick :)

[GarterNovice]

I think this is the best I have of his face

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/bhoran84/Pics074.jpg

[Snake lover 3-25]

kind of hard to tell.... but it looks like he does have the ribbon trade mark!!!!! congrats on discovering it's ID :D lol they love fish ;) o yeah but if you could just look at him and tell us if he has a small white mark in front of his eye that would def. prove it's identity :) but i'm afraid to say idk it's subspecies...... not too firmiliar with ribbone myself:)

[adamanteus]

It's an Eastern Ribbon Snake, Thamnophis sauritus (possibly sackenii).

[infernalis]

Ribbons love fish, Ours also crave bloody pinky parts..

Just take a frozen pinky out of the freezer, wait a minute for it to LIGHTLY soften (about like stiff ice cream) and press firmly down with a heavy knife.

Then thaw them for a few minutes more, and hold one half in a pair of tweezers, hemostats or reptile tongs, and show it to your snake.

No promises, but our ribbons eagerly grab that right up.

Nice looking snake:D Big ol "Betty Boop" eyes.

[GarterNovice]

Yes he has the small white marks in front of his eye's. Are ribbon's diet's different then Garters? Just want to make sure he is being taken care of properly. I wish the pet store had not tried to pass him off as a Garter. Pet store workers can be really stupid. I am very much a snake novice so all the help is appreciated.

[Stefan-A]

Ribbons are garter snakes, too, so they weren't strictly speaking wrong, unless they were trying to pass it off as a some specific, incorrect species. You can probably expect it to be less interested in worms and mice, ribbons are more specialized in amphibians and fish.

[GarterNovice]

Is it okay for him to eat just the live minnows that he is on? Do ribbon's have the same problem's with vitamin deficiency as the others?

[adamanteus]

Yes, the vitamin problems still apply.

[Lori P]

I've had very good luck getting my ribbons to eat pinkies by putting chopped up pinkies in with the minnows. When they dive for the minnows, at some point they'll get a pinky in their mouth instead, and generally eat it. After a while, they'll take them right along with the minnows... good luck, he's very cute!

[GarterNovice]

What is the best kind of fish to feed them?

[adamanteus]

I swear by trout.

[Aundrea]

Hi and Welcome to the group!!! Very nice snakie you have there. Hes cute :D

[ssssnakeluvr]

I swear by trout.
I agree....common prey item where I live....rarely do they turn down trout pieces!