night crawlers

[shaunyboy]

as you are about to see by my questions i'm new to garters.

nightcrawlers as you refer to them,are they just common earthworms found in your garden.

if so are you able to take them from your garden and feed to your garters.or does it have to be worms from a worm farm that have been raised in sterile conditions.

i am new to garters but not new to snakes.i have worked with morelia (carpet pythons) for a few years now.look forward to all your advice on the nightcrawlers.
cheers shaun

[guidofatherof5]

As long as your earthworms(or night crawlers) are taken from a non-pesticide/fertilizer area, they should be safe.
Buy no means are worms raised in sterile conditions.

[GarterGeek]

Nightcrawlers are a lot larger (and juicer!) than regular earthworms, but are otherwise essentially the same. You can find both nightcrawlers and earthworms in your backyard or in a baitshop. (Many large chain-stores such as K-mart and Wal-mart also carry them in their outdoor sections)

Just be careful not try and feed your snake red-worms - those are toxic.

What Guidofatherof5 said is absolutely correct.

Since you're new to garters, I should add that worms are not substantial as a main food source. They are great to get tricky-eaters started, and make a good suppliment, but pinkies should make up the majority of the diet.

Good luck! :)

[Mommy2many]

I always have nightcrawlers around for my snakes. I think of it as "mac'n cheese" for my garters. Kinda like a comfort food but you really should have something more. The whole fish (like silversides or guppies) and pinkies offer the calcium your snake will need thru its diet. The worms also have nutrients as well as salmon, tilapia or I believe trout. Minnows are OK too as long as they are dace minnows.

Good luck!

[ConcinusMan]

I have had to resort to making up the nutrients, especially calcium, by using worms powdered with supplements. I kept ordinoides for many years like that, feeding them nothing but worms and slugs. Just couldn't trick them into eating anything else. Right now, I have one little male that flat refuses anything else. I've tried chopping and mixing, scenting, etc. He can smell the difference and will refuse. Offer him a few slugs and they're gone in seconds. Stubborn little cuss.