Not eating again

[snickersnake]

My little garter that I caught last August is not eating again. Last fall, the reason she wasn't eating is because she went into partial brumation. So, I added a heat light in addition to the heat source underneath the cage (on one side). After that, there was no problem.

But she quit eating again, about a month ago. She moved from her towel, which is under the light, all the way to the other end of her cage and under her water dish. I took this to mean that she was too warm, so I quit turning the light on. She still has heat under the cage on the other end, and rocks that absorb it.

Could she be too cold now? I don't know what to do. I don't want to turn the light on and make it too warm for her.

[gregmonsta]

Do you have thermometers to help you monitor the temps? She could well have been too warm and would have opted to aestivate (summer rest/similar to brumation).

[drache]

could she be going into shed?

[guidofatherof5]

Try switching some food around. If you haven't given guppies in awhile then try them. I have some that go off feed for short periods. Guppies have brought them back to eating most of the time.
Follow-up on Greg's suggestion also. Check that temp.

[snickersnake]

Thank you. I didn't know that could happen. I keep a thermometer in her tank, which is why I quit turning her light on. But it has been a very cool summer and some night are downright cold, so I started turning her light on again. I'm having a hard time giving her a nice, even temp. She's not going into shed - that's always what I suspect first.

Guppies would be a great idea except that when I've done that in the past, she acts like she doesn't know what she's supposed to do with them. I did catch her outside - maybe that has something to do with it. Worms are the only thing that she will eat, although I'm trying to get her to eat pinkies.

Thanks so much for your help.

[guidofatherof5]

I've placed tough eater in a zip lock container with a bunch of guppies in it, no water. Flopping around guppies seems to trigger a feeding response. I've never had it fail with any of my radixes. I put them, cover the container with a white towel and leave them alone for an hour or so. When I get back most if not all the guppies are inside the snake. Still flopping, but inside.:D

[prattypus]

You could try Shannon's tip for pinky transition. Run one half a nightcawler under hot water to kill that side. Use that half to tie a knot around a pinky. That was the good side will still move and attract the snake, once it strikes, it would just inch it's way down the line until the pinky was added to the menu.

[DrKate]

I'm having a hard time giving her a nice, even temp.
You could get a thermostat (it'll set you back probably $40) with a sensor you put in your enclosure that will turn the light on and off automatically even when you're not home or asleep. Keeps the temperature much more even without having to check the thermometer all the time.

[celticguitar]

You could get a thermostat (it'll set you back probably $40) with a sensor you put in your enclosure that will turn the light on and off automatically even when you're not home or asleep. Keeps the temperature much more even without having to check the thermometer all the time.
I agree depending where you have the tank even if the abient temp seems cooler than last year it is around here in Rhode Island 70's during day the 50's at night in July? anyway there still will be a slow steady heat gain so what worked in May for temp regulation won't work now so a thermostat is in order for good regulation. I have mine in my finished basement man cave along with my Vintage stereo collection and record collection and recording studio and Guitars so I try to keep the temp even but even there as the foundation warms over the summer (it's below grade) it gets warm and I have to keep adjsuting the temp and humidity good luck with feeding
mine still do fine on worms and calcium powder and repto vits.
Dwight

[snickersnake]

I guess I will have to get a thermostat. Please forgive me, I get confused by a lot of information. Last fall, when she wouldn't eat, I found out that the heater underneath was not enough so the vet said to get the heat lamp. He said to turn it on in the morning and turn it off at night. She started eating after that. She is in the bedroom where, when it gets really cold, I turn on a space heater. But when summer started (even though this year it's the coldest on record), I thought the light was a bit much and she seemed groggy when I had it on. I started leaving it off. She still seems groggy. Anyway, I have her in our bedroom where it is warm in the winter which is why I moved her up here last year. But we can't have the light on all night or we would never sleep. The other rooms are too cold in the fall-winter-spring.

I had garter snakes for years and all I ever had for them was a hot rock (this was back in the 80's and early 90's). I had other rocks resting on the hot rock so that she could get the heat through the rocks or hide underneath them like a tent. I fed them goldfish. I never had to do anything else with heat and they always ate like little piggies. Zip lived for 7 years. I just don't know what I am doing wrong here. I don't know if it's food or heat or cold or what? I should probably just let her go. She has been the most awesome little snake. Has no problem with anyone who wants to hold her. I love her to death but I don't know what to do. She is not thriving. She ate all winter and I put vitamins on the worms but she didn't grow. She's too small to eat a pinky but won't eat pieces of one, either. And I still don't think she would eat the guppies, I would be willing to bet on it...the last time I tried, she swam with them and they were wiggling and swimming all over the place, but she didn't eat even one.

Sorry about venting. You have all given me good ideas, but it just shouldn't be this hard.

[snickersnake]

She hasn't eaten in ages. I love her to death but maybe I should just let her go. She acts like she doesn't even know what to do with worms, and the guppies didn't work - she never has figured out what guppies are. She's way too small still to eat a pinky, but she could eat a piece of one - but if I can't get her to eat worms, how is anything else going to work? I'm still going to try before I release her to the wild. I don't want her to die.

[guidofatherof5]

It of course is you're call. You have to do what's best for you and her. I noticed in the last post you said she was swimming with the guppies. Get ride of the water and put her in with them. A small container that will force contact with the fish. Cover it up with a towel and leave it alone for an hour or more. Don't peek. The less distractions the better. Put it in a room where there won't be a lot of traffic. Hope this helps.

[mtolypetsupply]

Do you have pics of your baby? The reason I ask is that you said you caught it last August and think it's still too small to eat a whole pink. So... I'm wondering if you might have a dekayi not a garter. How big is your snake? Length? Weight?

You said you are using a heat mat, is that on a rheostat? They can heat up far too much for our garter babies. Instead of spending a bunch of money on a rheostat, if you don't have one already, you can get a "table top dimmer" at Home Depot/Lowes/etc. for much cheaper that will perform the same function. While you are there, go to the outdoor aisle and pick up an indoor/outdoor thermometer. It will have a probe you can move around the cage, and monitor the temps.

In my opinion, thermostats should not be used on lights. There's a theory that the on/off of the thermostat, therefore the on/off of the light, will stress out the snake. Instead, if you choose a thermostat ($40) or a table top dimmer ($8) or rheostat, use it with the heat mat.

You said the heat mat is at one end, and the lamp at the other. Again, just my opinion, but I would put the heat sources only at one end. That will provide a gradient, and the snake can choose what temperature it wants. With heat at both ends, I'd venture a guess that there's a pretty uniform temp across your tank.

Lastly, what wattage bulb are you using in your heat lamp? Do not assume that a higher wattage bulb produces more heat. We have experimented with them, and belive it or not, a 60 watt bulb puts out more heat than a 100. I'm running the air conditioning at 75 degrees and use a 40 watt in the light over the 40 gallon tank. It heats the surface to about 83 degrees.

I hope you get your baby eating again soon! Keep us posted on your progress!

:)

[Mommy2many]

Stephi is right. If you have a Dekayi, she won't want anything but slugs. Try some baby slugs or even cut up some big ones. The Dekayi resemble the garters and look like they could be baby garters. Yours should have grown in the last year.

Post a picture; we would love to see your baby! Good luck with her.