Noob questions

[Griff]

Hi everyone, im new here, and i have a few Q's. Recently i caught a black-necked garter snake about to be attacked by a cat, i have decided on keeping it since it would most likely get killed by one of the 5 cats that live near my house IMO. So, i've been keeping it in a 10g with paper towels, and today it has eaten a large tadpole which makes me excited!So, i was wondering if this species has any trouble eating more convinient food, such as rosy reds or frozen pinkies. I'm afraid ill run out of tadpoles to feed it from my fountain. He/she/it is only around 8ish inches.

Sorry about not being able to post any pics.Gotta get a camera i suppose.:rolleyes:

[Stefan-A]

Rosy reds aren't recommended, but salmon/trout, tilapia or guppies with added calcium/multivitamin powder are safe. You can try to get it to take pinkies and if it doesn't, try to rub a tadpole or a frog on the pinkie to scent it.

[gregmonsta]

Good advice :) .... Blacknecks tend to prefer amphibians over other prey in the wild.

[drache]

sometimes rubbing is not enough
I've left pinkies in the fridge over night in a small container with the scenting item - in your case I suggest tadpole
or you can put the pinkie in a small container with very little water and the tadpole
sometimes it takes a few times to work - don't give up, even if it seems like a waste of pinky, because they get habituated to the smell/taste in the water and eventually (2-3 times later) it will work
rosies are okay sometimes for switching purposes, but if you're needing live fish for a feeding response, try to get guppies instead
good luck with that and welcome to the forum
blacknecks are beautiful, and yeah - photos would be lovely

[jitami]

Welcome :)

[Griff]

Thanks for the advice guys, cleaned the cage today, so his response is to poop on me. I will try the pinky idea in a few days since he ate a somewhat large tadpole yesterday.

[Griff]

What i found odd about finding this species is that the closest body of water to my house is a pond a mile or so away. I don't even know how these tadpoles got in my fountain. Only amphibians i can find around here would be big toads.

[count dewclaw]

Welcome. The garter snakes around my house think toads are the best food ever. :D

[drache]

they must be big toad tadpoles then
(say that ten times fast)

[MichaelSmith]

Thanks for the advice guys, cleaned the cage today, so his response is to poop on me. I will try the pinky idea in a few days since he ate a somewhat large tadpole yesterday.

Hi - welcome ... glad you were able to save the little black-neck.

Mine always start on frogs and will transition to pinkies after scenting. At least, with mine, scenting is always needed. Black-necks are pretty specialized feeders - frogs, tadpoles, maybe salamanders. From your location, I'm guessing you might have access to cricket frogs at that pond. That may be a necessary first step for your little guy. (Although some, but not all, will take fish).

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Griff :)

[Griff]

Hey everyone, the snake is doing fine, nearly out of tadpoles to feed him, and now im guessing he's close to his first shed, since he has a blue tint in his eyes.

[guidofatherof5]

3-7 days after the tint is gone your snake should shed. It would be great if you can put a few rocks in there for her to rub against to get that shed off. A water dish that is large enough to get in will also be helpful. They like to soak before the shed. Heck, mine like to soak just for the fun of it. Sounds like your doing great. Hope to see a photo soon. Blacknecks are beautiful.

[ConcinusMan]

Indeed. Extremely attractive they are. Also very well suited for captivity. Not even sure if I like that word. "Captivity". It sounds so... so... well it sounds like what Jaycee Lee Dugard went through. I prefer to think of it as, under the care of a knowledgeable keeper, "Guaranteed maximum lifespan under ideal conditions and protection from predators". Yeah. That's what it is. I would be thrilled to get my hands on a very young blackneck but they're pretty much non-existant in the pet trade (around here, at least) and Thamnophis breeders/enthusiasts just don't seem to be very enthusiastic about giving any up for adoption. Honestly though, in spite of your good intentions, I would really like to see that blackneck you found, returned to the wild and I wouldn't want to obtain one at the expense of the now limited wild population. They are just too precious.

[MichaelSmith]

I would be thrilled to get my hands on a very young blackneck but they're pretty much non-existant in the pet trade (around here, at least) and Thamnophis breeders/enthusiasts just don't seem to be very enthusiastic about giving any up for adoption.

There are some of us captive-breeding them...

[ianrambell]

DONT let it go