Eating Styles

[guidofatherof5]

I feed a lot of snakes. Most of that feeding this year has been to babies(radix). I've observed many eating styles and thought I would share the different styles I've seen and the names I've given them. Please feel free to add anything I've missed.


Eating Styles



#1 Grab and go: This is where the snake rushes in at first smell/sight of food, grabs a piece and heads to the other end of the enclosure.


#2 Focused/sit and eat: Here the snake simply sits at the food dish and fills up. They are not rushed or hurried. No stealing, no fighting, no interest in any other snake or anything else that is going on.


#3. Chaser/Stealer/Thief: Here the snake ignores the food dish and focuses on anyone with food in their mouth. They will travel across the food dish to attempt to steal food.


#4 Gobbler/Gulper: These snakes swallow as much food as fast as they can. They are nervous and easily turn into a thief.


#5 Silent/invisible: These snakes seem invisible to everyone eating. They move in and out of the food dish. They are not challenged or harassed by anyone. They don't eat fast and never stop moving.


#6 Waiters: These snakes don't attempt to eat or show any interest in what's going on. They wait until the vast majority of the other snakes have eaten. They then slowly move in and eat. If a lot of activity returns to the food dish they simply move off and wait until things calm down again.


#7 Non-eaters: These snakes may visit the food dish or not. They may look like they are going to eat but then lose interest and move off. They may or may not watch others eat and show no interest in eating themselves. They do not show any aggression towards anyone eating. These are the snakes that are most likely to die from "failure to thrive". Aggressive feeding strategies are need to get these snakes started. It should also be noted that these snakes may not survive even if aggressive strategies are used.
* Non- eaters help: In my experience I have found guppies and earthworms(not night crawlers) to be the food items to ignite these snakes into eating. It should also be known that sometimes nothing works for these snakes as they are destine to die from starvation. I personally will euthanize them before this happens. I have also had non-eaters start eating and then out of the blue stop eating and die. I believe these snakes are developmentally behind and in the wild would have died much earlier. The bright spot is the fact some of them do live and thrive.

[ConcinusMan]

You pretty much got it covered. Nice job. I never had more than 50 baby concinnus to feed at one time though. I can't imagine feeding as many baby radixes as you do.

When I had a lot of babies to feed, I actually used to sort them out into different containers (after a few weeks) based on those feeding observations (and size/strength). Most of the time the #6's and #7's were developmentally behind from birth. Once I sort those into their own container, I do whatever I can to ensure that each one eats, however much coaxing it takes. Like you were saying, some gain strength and go on to live well. A few get so emaciated within a few weeks, it's the freezer for them. Thankfully, not too many share that fate.

I found that it does help to separate the weaker/less aggressive feeders from the others, and give them plenty of room and several spots where they can separate and eat. They don't feel so intimidated when there is not so many strong ones being fed in the same container and it makes it easier to pamper/coddle them by keeping them a bit warmer and offering lots of different foods. Some gain strength/size and turn into #6's or #1's usually. Each one that eats well from there is moved to yet another container, leaving the non feeders. After that, they tend to catch up to the others in size/strength. Whenever I had a large brood (25-50) there is no avoiding getting a few of the non-feeders or a few small feeders that just up and die. Sad, but a fact of life.

Use your observations to "classify" and segregate. I helps the weaker one's catch up and gives them a fighting chance.

[confused]

my girl liked to sneak up on her food dish like it was prey, circle underneath it, strike feed and run away, only to repeat the whole stalking process for the next morsel.

[guidofatherof5]

my girl liked to sneak up on her food dish like it was prey, circle underneath it, strike feed and run away, only to repeat the whole stalking process for the next morsel.

Feeding time for the babies is my favorite time.
Their little attitudes towards food is a lot of fun to watch.

[Ctah_Lu]

my snake has another tipe of eat, maybe you can name this stile:

fist it smells a lot, then he (its male) goes to explore in search for more, after that approaches to the dish and grab the food, and pass almost 10 minutes whit the food on the mout until he wants eat it.

[ConcinusMan]

Maybe we could call that style the "indifferent eater". He eats, but first he smells the food, looks around for something else, but then decides he better eat what's offered.

There's actually a cure for that. Snakes behave differently in groups due to competition. If this snake is alone, maybe he's being fed too often, or would prefer some different food. In that case, feeding less often and/or switching to fish usually makes them more enthusiastic.

Maybe the food is too cold? maybe that's why he waits?

[guidofatherof5]

I saw an interesting feeding response but I'm not sure it needs its own label.
I had pulled a couple of my young Het. albino red phase radixes out for their enclosure for their first full size night crawler. After they had swallowed it I placed them back in with their siblings. The smell of worms brought everyone out in the hopes of getting some. There was a great interest in the snakes that had just finished eating of course. The other snakes could smell and taste the worm slime on them.
No one tried to bite anyone else but I did see them pushing on the mouths of the snakes that had eaten. Then something amazing happened. One snake was able to push hard enough to force the other snakes mouth open. The intruder then stuck its head down the throat of the other snake which cause a gag reflex. Apparently this brought the worm up close enough to be grabbed. The intruder then grabbed the worm and attempted to pull it out. This all happened in the blink of an eye. A short tug-of-war ensued. I reached in a broke the worm to end the fight.
I'm guessing this falls within the #3. Chaser/Stealer/Thief catagory.

[ConcinusMan]

I don't think so, that one falls in a category all it's own. It's downright forceful extortion/robbery! Holy crud!

[Snakers]

I have all thief's with my group:D

[Holly]

Lol, mine actually sits in the food dish most of the day hoping to be fed. When we open the lid to feed him he doesn't bother coming over to meet his slug or worm, he just opens his mouth and waits for the food to be placed there!

[guidofatherof5]

Lol, mine actually sits in the food dish most of the day hoping to be fed. When we open the lid to feed him he doesn't bother coming over to meet his slug or worm, he just opens his mouth and waits for the food to be placed there!

Smooth dekayi move.:rolleyes:

[kibakiba]

Lol, mine actually sits in the food dish most of the day hoping to be fed. When we open the lid to feed him he doesn't bother coming over to meet his slug or worm, he just opens his mouth and waits for the food to be placed there!


I wish my snakes would do that! It'd be cute. They either come up to the top to greet me while I'm taking the pinkies out of the bag, or slither around excitedly... Either way the pinky gets snatched out of the tweezers ;)

[ConcinusMan]

So much fun isn't it? but seriously, your northwestern's take pinkies? I've only had that happen very rarely. they sure love night crawlers and slugs for sure!

This girl I sent to Don (ssssnakeluvr) snagged a f/t pinky one time from me, when I was trying to feed a Oregon red spot. I was shocked by this, and she never did it again!

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2552/gedc1470.jpg

She actually turned out to be quite the picky eater, and mostly did not eat. Barely enough to keep her from declining in health.

She's doing well now, and had a litter, but she was not only the biggest northwestern I ever found, but also the first to eat a pinky.

[kibakiba]

Indeed they do take pinkies, and Mama can down a fuzzy if its cut in half :) I got Snakey started on pinkies the first day I found out they weren't that big... I didn't have to scent it at all, he was just hungry and he's been eating them ever since ;) With Mama it was harder, she really loves the night crawlers. What I did was take a little mini bowl, but up 2 night crawlers and got the pinky covered in the worm blood/slime and left it on top. The first time she took the pinky first and gobbled it down fast, the second time I figured I wouldn't have to scent it with so much worm.. She ignored it. Third time I was feeding Snakey and she came up and stole his pink. No scenting needed at all. And she's been eating them since then ;) If she refuses a pinky, I of course spoil her and let her have a couple night crawlers. Runt's picky. He wont even take scented/hidden pinky parts. If it doesn't look like a cut up night crawler he wont eat it no matter how hungry he is.

[ConcinusMan]

Well that's great news. A half a fuzzy, or a pinky or two will definitely hold them off for a week, or even two weeks. Seriously. It's super dense long lasting "stick to their ribs" food.

I have a couple of large concinnus that seem to not want to eat but once or twice a month. They happen to be the strongest, most muscular, sturdy snakes I have. they also happen to prefer choking down 2-3 fuzzies, or 3-4 pinkies along with some fish, when they do eat.

the rest are content to be fed every 5-7 days and just eat fish and worms, and occasionally a pinky.

Babies, less than a year old, are of course, offered food daily or every other day, in small quantities.

[kibakiba]

Mama is a serious pinky eating machine. After she ate the fuzzy she still wanted more, she was begging me for some of runts food when I was feeding him the day after ;). She's cut down on munching on pinkies lately though, probably cause I've been calling her "Mrs. Piggy" "Big Mama" and the most common, that she hates the most "Lil Chubs" :D
Snakey's biggest meal was a couple days ago.... The day after he got drug around the enclosure by... Chubs ;). Mama wasnt hungry and I had thawed her 2 pinkies, and had a worm ready for her, so I offered it to snakey who already ate his pinky. He took it AND half of the night crawler.... Then 2 days after that he puked on me when I tried to show my boyfriend how little he already was after the big meal... Half digested pinky doesn't smell nice at all.

[ConcinusMan]

Be careful with that. Don't feed them big mice to the point of a huge bulge in them. Not good for them in my opinion. It's likely that meal spoiled before it could get digested because it was too large.

[Atlas511]

I LOVE THIS THREAD! i ahve a nice mix of 1-4 on my new babies. you really know your stuff Steve! great observations.

[kibakiba]

I don't, Snakey can have a max of 2, Mama can eat 3, or a fuzzy and that's it for a week or two... I normally wait 2 since I know I can be lazy if they've eaten a lot ;) If they don't eat a lot they have to wait a week, and maybe have half of a night crawler in between if they start begging. You all know I cant resist garters begging for yummy food ;)

[guidofatherof5]

I don't, Snakey can have a max of 2, Mama can eat 3, or a fuzzy and that's it for a week or two... I normally wait 2 since I know I can be lazy if they've eaten a lot ;) If they don't eat a lot they have to wait a week, and maybe have half of a night crawler in between if they start begging. You all know I cant resist garters begging for yummy food ;)

Now we know it and they always did.:D

[The Snake Whisperer]

I've seen all of those styles except I haven't yet had one who was a thief. The only true noneaters I've had have all been young babies. I did notice that some of the noneater babies were from a litter that were weaker at birth than the other litters (I had 5 litters born all within the time period between August 1 to August 18.) This makes me wonder if noneaters are babies that are similar to what dog breeders call "fading puppies". Perhaps noneaters, weak babies, stillborns etc, happen when a mother has an infection while pregnant, just as this happens occasionally in domestic mammal pets.

[The Snake Whisperer]

Regardless of eating styles, all my snakes neatly wipe their faces after eating, well as neatly as a snake can wipe its face with what it has to work with.

The one eating style that totally shocked me two days ago was the snake who learned to eat out of a spoon! That one may end up being a keeper simply because of its developing that amazing behavior.

[guidofatherof5]

I've seen all of those styles except I haven't yet had one who was a thief. The only true noneaters I've had have all been young babies. I did notice that some of the noneater babies were from a litter that were weaker at birth than the other litters (I had 5 litters born all within the time period between August 1 to August 18.) This makes me wonder if noneaters are babies that are similar to what dog breeders call "fading puppies". Perhaps noneaters, weak babies, stillborns etc, happen when a mother has an infection while pregnant, just as this happens occasionally in domestic mammal pets.

I don't think there is any definitive answer to why there are non-eaters and the "failure to thrive" snakes. Other than the natural course of life.
It's one area I'd like to get some answers to but lack the education and money to do anything about it.

[ConcinusMan]

I think it's actually necessary, meaning, those smaller "failure to thrive" snakes, are nearly always a small part of any garter snake litter, particularly the large litters, and just might be an important source of food for animals that cannot catch the healthier, stronger baby snakes. In other words, even though their lives are often short, they do have purpose in the big picture. Nature wastes nothing.

[ConcinusMan]

Regardless of eating styles, all my The one eating style that totally shocked me two days ago was the snake who learned to eat out of a spoon! That one may end up being a keeper simply because of its developing that amazing behavior.

I wouldn't call that amazing, my snakes would eat off of a fork, or anything else that has food on it.:rolleyes:

[Mommy2many]

I can honestly say I have witnessed each eating style in my group of babies. I have had the Thief and/or thieves. I have had the "grab and go", the one who sits at the food dish and indulges (practically cannot take his head of the rim of the dish) the one who waits patiently by the side, the non-eaters, the gorgers(mostly the females, I would have to say):D The food fights,etc.

I love to watch them snag their dinner then slither to the other side in record speed. Little do they know, there is no one in pursuit! My Dekayi is a thief as well as a victim, so good for him! I stand guard with my scissors to cut any worm in half/thirds/quarters that I have to.

[guidofatherof5]

I feed a lot of snakes. Most of that feeding this year has been to babies(radix). I've observed many eating styles and thought I would share the different styles I've seen and the names I've given them. Please feel free to add anything I've missed.


Eating Styles



#1 Grab and go: This is where the snake rushes in at first smell/sight of food, grabs a piece and heads to the other end of the enclosure.


#2 Focused/sit and eat: Here the snake simply sits at the food dish and fills up. They are not rushed or hurried. No stealing, no fighting, no interest in any other snake or anything else that is going on.


#3. Chaser/Stealer/Thief: Here the snake ignores the food dish and focuses on anyone with food in their mouth. They will travel across the food dish to attempt to steal food.


#4. Ambusher: This snake waits in the hide for someone to return with food. Once back to the hide they attempt to steal the meal.


#5 Gobbler/Gulper: These snakes swallow as much food as fast as they can. They are nervous and easily turn into a thief.


#6 Silent/invisible: These snakes seem invisible to everyone eating. They move in and out of the food dish. They are not challenged or harassed by anyone. They don't eat fast and never stop moving.


#7 Waiters: These snakes don't attempt to eat or show any interest in what's going on. They wait until the vast majority of the other snakes have eaten. They then slowly move in and eat. If a lot of activity returns to the food dish they simply move off and wait until things calm down again.


#8 Non-eaters: These snakes may visit the food dish or not. They may look like they are going to eat but then lose interest and move off. They may or may not watch others eat and show no interest in eating themselves. They do not show any aggression towards anyone eating. These are the snakes that are most likely to die from "failure to thrive". Aggressive feeding strategies are need to get these snakes started. It should also be noted that these snakes may not survive even if aggressive strategies are used.


* Non- eaters help: In my experience I have found guppies and earthworms(not night crawlers) to be the food items to ignite these snakes into eating. It should also be known that sometimes nothing works for these snakes as they are destine to die from starvation. I personally will euthanize them before this happens. I have also had non-eaters start eating and then out of the blue stop eating and die. I believe these snakes are developmentally behind and in the wild would have died much earlier. The bright spot is the fact some of them do live and thrive.




I thought I had seen it all until recently. The addition to the list is #4 the Ambusher.

[zooplan]

Sounds like the caracters of an adventure game:D

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like the caracters of an adventure game:D

That's a great idea. We could call it "The Bush Snake Adventures" We can be partners on the idea Udo. What do you think?:D

I've always had an idea of a Thamnophis trivia game. I'd call it "Thamtrivia":D

[guidofatherof5]

I feed a lot of snakes. Most of that feeding this year has been to babies(radix). I've observed many eating styles and thought I would share the different styles I've seen and the names I've given them. Please feel free to add anything I've missed.


Eating Styles



#1 Grab and go: This is where the snake rushes in at first smell/sight of food, grabs a piece and heads to the other end of the enclosure.


#2 Focused/sit and eat: Here the snake simply sits at the food dish and fills up. They are not rushed or hurried. No stealing, no fighting, no interest in any other snake or anything else that is going on.


#3. Chaser/Stealer/Thief: Here the snake ignores the food dish and focuses on anyone with food in their mouth. They will travel across the food dish to attempt to steal food.


#4. Ambusher: This snake waits in the hide for someone to return with food. Once back to the hide they attempt to steal the meal.


#5 Gobbler/Gulper: These snakes swallow as much food as fast as they can. They are nervous and easily turn into a thief.


#6 Silent/invisible: These snakes seem invisible to everyone eating. They move in and out of the food dish. They are not challenged or harassed by anyone. They don't eat fast and never stop moving.


#7 Waiters: These snakes don't attempt to eat or show any interest in what's going on. They wait until the vast majority of the other snakes have eaten. They then slowly move in and eat. If a lot of activity returns to the food dish they simply move off and wait until things calm down again.


#8 Non-eaters: These snakes may visit the food dish or not. They may look like they are going to eat but then lose interest and move off. They may or may not watch others eat and show no interest in eating themselves. They do not show any aggression towards anyone eating. These are the snakes that are most likely to die from "failure to thrive". Aggressive feeding strategies are need to get these snakes started. It should also be noted that these snakes may not survive even if aggressive strategies are used.


* Non- eaters help: In my experience I have found guppies and earthworms(not night crawlers) to be the food items to ignite these snakes into eating. It should also be known that sometimes nothing works for these snakes as they are destine to die from starvation. I personally will euthanize them before this happens. I have also had non-eaters start eating and then out of the blue stop eating and die. I believe these snakes are developmentally behind and in the wild would have died much earlier. The bright spot is the fact some of them do live and thrive.


I spotted another eating style but won't add it to my official group.
I call it the "Peanut Gallery" eaters.
This is a small group of young radixes that have claimed a planter I places in their enclosure.
When it's feeding time they simply pop their heads out of the plant material and wait for me to feed them.
They grab a piece of food off the hemostats and retreat under the plant material.
They have decided there is no need to leave their hide in order to get fed.
Can you say "spoiled":D

[RedSidedSPR]

My snake (self caught 3 years old red sided) is extremely stealthy. He goes to the water bowl a different way EVERY time, stays low, slow, and slowly goes up to the fish. Then grabs, and if it's big runs away (sometimes straight up the glass), and if it's small, just guzzles it down in seconds, and moves on to the next. It's really fun to watch.

[kibakiba]

Squirt hides in a hole in the bedding when she knows it's feeding time, pops her head out and when I give her the food, she pops out really fast and drags it quickly into the hole. It's a hilarious sight. I wish I could get it on camera, but it always comes up too dark to see her.

[RdubSnider]

That's entertaining. I've got a male checkered that goes continues in a circle around his cage while he's eating and normally doesn't stop till the mouse is all the way down.

[d_virginiana]

Houdini likes to beg for food. When he has nothing in his bowl and he sees one of the humans come into the room, he will get up and drape himself over the bowl and watch us. Then when he finally gets his food, he just gulps it down without ever really leaving the one spot.

[guidofatherof5]

Houdini likes to beg for food. When he has nothing in his bowl and he sees one of the humans come into the room, he will get up and drape himself over the bowl and watch us. Then when he finally gets his food, he just gulps it down without ever really leaving the one spot.


Sounds like Houdini has a system.

[Venti]

Today while feeding my hatchlings in my "Nursery" I found out a possible new eating style, similar to dunking cookies in milk. Some of the babies started grabbing nightcrawler pieces and dunking them in their water bowl. This behavior was first seen in the wild caught eastern hatchling, then in one of the CB red-sided garter snake hatchlings. I just found this interesting and worth noting.

[guidofatherof5]

Never heard of or seen anything like that.;)
Thanks for sharing.

[Venti]

I just thought of why they might be doing that, are they washing the dirt off the worms? Usually I rinse off the worm pieces in cool water, but this time I forgot too.

[guidofatherof5]

I doubt it's that, the garbage guts:D

[Venti]

They like the guts and all that, I just think they don't like the worm dirt.:D
Garter snakes are very amusing to watch eat, I had to break up a few games of tug-a-war last time before someone got bit.

[RedSidedSPR]

My flame has a differet eating style. Strike at everything that moves :eek: I'm gonna have to start feeding him separately, he gets WAAAAY too exited.:p

[brain]

My flame has a differet eating style. Strike at everything that moves :eek: I'm gonna have to start feeding him separately, he gets WAAAAY too exited.:p

I have a T.radix from the ranch in green that has just that attitude when eating. He’ll take the pink violently.
Have of his viv mate just brush him … man he just goes wild running around with the pink still in his mouth.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yup. Thats how he is.

[ConcinusMan]

I have a T.radix from the ranch in green that has just that attitude when eating. He’ll take the pink violently.

My little mighty mouse (normal greenish radix) does that. He's all angry and doing the viper impression and strikes at his pinky parts very violently. He's something else.

[RedSidedSPR]

Man, I love that guy.:D

[guidofatherof5]

Thought I'd give this a bump for our newer members.

[ConcinusMan]

Man, I love that guy.:D

Unfortunately he had some kind of growth disorder. He just never grew much at all, and eventually died. Nearly 3 years old and still under 12 inches.

[guidofatherof5]

Bump.

[guidofatherof5]

I feed a lot of snakes. Most of that feeding this year has been to babies(radix). I've observed many eating styles and thought I would share the different styles I've seen and the names I've given them. Please feel free to add anything I've missed.


Eating Styles



#1 Grab and go: This is where the snake rushes in at first smell/sight of food, grabs a piece and heads to the other end of the enclosure.


#2 Focused/sit and eat: Here the snake simply sits at the food dish and fills up. They are not rushed or hurried. No stealing, no fighting, no interest in any other snake or anything else that is going on.


#3. Chaser/Stealer/Thief: Here the snake ignores the food dish and focuses on anyone with food in their mouth. They will travel across the food dish to attempt to steal food.


#4. Ambusher: This snake waits in the hide for someone to return with food. Once back to the hide they attempt to steal the meal.


#5 Gobbler/Gulper: These snakes swallow as much food as fast as they can. They are nervous and easily turn into a thief.


#6 Silent/invisible: These snakes seem invisible to everyone eating. They move in and out of the food dish. They are not challenged or harassed by anyone. They don't eat fast and never stop moving.


#7 Waiters: These snakes don't attempt to eat or show any interest in what's going on. They wait until the vast majority of the other snakes have eaten. They then slowly move in and eat. If a lot of activity returns to the food dish they simply move off and wait until things calm down again.


#8 Non-eaters: These snakes may visit the food dish or not. They may look like they are going to eat but then lose interest and move off. They may or may not watch others eat and show no interest in eating themselves. They do not show any aggression towards anyone eating. These are the snakes that are most likely to die from "failure to thrive". Aggressive feeding strategies are need to get these snakes started. It should also be noted that these snakes may not survive even if aggressive strategies are used.


* Non- eaters help: In my experience I have found guppies and earthworms(not night crawlers) to be the food items to ignite these snakes into eating. It should also be known that sometimes nothing works for these snakes as they are destine to die from starvation. I personally will euthanize them before this happens. I have also had non-eaters start eating and then out of the blue stop eating and die. I believe these snakes are developmentally behind and in the wild would have died much earlier. The bright spot is the fact some of them do live and thrive.




I thought I had seen it all until recently. The addition to the list is #4 the Ambusher.


Giving this a bump.

[jwolfe152]

the 2 i have that are eating takes a little shaking from the stats and then they got for it Amaunet takes it kinda slow but Ekoh strikes at it and unless someone is looking at him goggles it down but if he catches someone looking he will stop and stare till they look away

[guidofatherof5]

Bump

[guidofatherof5]

Bump