Garter Snake Has Not Eaten For a Month

[jhacking]

Help! We caught a Garter Snake in July. It ate frozen mice about once a week until about a month ago and now will not eat anything. We have tried mice and gold fish.

Does anyone have any help?
Thanks

[adamanteus]

Hi James, and welcome to the forum.:)
Could be your snake is preparing for brumation.
By the way... Goldfish are not a good food item for your Garter!

[infernalis]

Welcome to the group James.

It is the time of year that most garter snakes are down underground chilling out for the winter. (Brumation)

I concur, no goldfish.. http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Thiamin,

And another handy link

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husbandry/4288-brumation-pointers.html

[reptile3]

I concur, no goldfish.. http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Thiamin,
l (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husbandry/4288-brumation-pointers.html)

for some reason that link never works, so try this one.

http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Thiamin,#THIAMIN.2C_THIAMINASE.2C_ .26_GOLDFISH

[ssssnakeluvr]

some snakes will go into brumation this time of year....need to be brumated....read the link on brumation and it should help out

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you with us. I've got some who want to go to bed for awhile and others who just want to eat somemore. Mine are getting the sleep they want starting this weekend. I've never done it before but they know what's best for them.

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard, James. :)

[prattypus]

I know on the article it says to refrain from feeding for 2-3 prior to being put down for the winter, to prevent the food rotting. If they keep eating, is this a sign that they aren't wanting/needing to be brumated?

Just curious- mine are still munching most of what they get, and the are still smallish 08s.

[Sid]

Welcome to the forum, James.

[infernalis]

I know on the article it says to refrain from feeding for 2-3 prior to being put down for the winter, to prevent the food rotting. If they keep eating, is this a sign that they aren't wanting/needing to be brumated?

Just curious- mine are still munching most of what they get, and the are still smallish 08s.

Jason, If they are still pounding groceries, no need to brumate. Especially babies.

We have a few adults that stay up all winter as well.

.

[jitami]

Help! We caught a Garter Snake in July. It ate frozen mice about once a week until about a month ago and now will not eat anything. We have tried mice and gold fish.
Does anyone have any help?
Thanks

Welcome to the club... it's now been 4 weeks for my adults. I truly have no way to brumate them. I even threw a thermometer in my fridge in various places, but it's jut too cold. Everywhere else here is still too warm.... they were caught here, so I figure leaving them at room/outdoor temps and offering them food once a week is the best I can do. It's what I've always done for my male and he's always been fine. The female has me stressing, though, as she's always out and about... but I offered her food once again this week and she checked it out and won't touch it.... sigh.... the male I'm going to have to go looking for today as I haven't seen him in over a week... not fun...

[jhacking]

Thanks for the help everyone. As for brumate I don't have anywhere that is 40 - 45 degrees. The best I could do is ether in a basement room that gets to about 50 - 55 degrees or the garage that gets to 0 degrees. What should I do?

[anji1971]

Tami, I know how you feel!
Mine are all eating erratically right now. Even the babies are pickier than usual.
Autumn seems to be the only one eating on a regular schedule. Chili's only had two trout strips and a few nightcrawlers in the last six weeks. And Deejay flat out refused to eat at all for a whole month. But last feeding she ate three pieces of trout.
I can't brumate mine either, so I'll just let them eat at their own pace, and hope that eventually they snap out of it.

[ssssnakeluvr]

50-55 should be ok to brumate...0 isn't! a month down for babies sould do the trick...works for mine. I brumate at 40-45 cuz thats my garage temp..:D

[garterguarder]

so trou is a good thing to feed garters i was wondering what type store bout?and i was wondering what type of guppies do garters eat also

thx to this website ive only been here one day and i already understand my garters better:)

[adamanteus]

Rainbow Trout is the most readily available (in the UK, at least).

[infernalis]

Any guppy will do fine.

If the snake is a fussy eater, Fancy guppies seem to get their interest.

[jitami]

Tami, I know how you feel!
Mine are all eating erratically right now. Even the babies are pickier than usual.Autumn seems to be the only one eating on a regular schedule. Chili's only had two trout strips and a few nightcrawlers in the last six weeks. And Deejay flat out refused to eat at all for a whole month. But last feeding she ate three pieces of trout.
I can't brumate mine either, so I'll just let them eat at their own pace, and hope that eventually they snap out of it.

Glad I'm not the only one Anji! I did dig Sly out yesterday and he's fine. Still cute as a button :) Even hubby said yesterday, "Ella is really a lot uglier than he is, huh?" LOL He's not a snake person and I would never say Ella is ugly, but Sly is just too cute with his short little head, big ol' eyes, and soft yellow coloring. We're hitting near record high temps here this year, so maybe they'll decide to eat at some point? I think I'm going to try live fish. That should at least get Ella going.