how long?

[Josh]

i have had my snake for about 5 days and he wont eat he is about a foot long .5 inches wide he wont eat worms pinkies salamanders but i am yet to try crickets or fish. my other one wont eat either at the same size. o and keep in mind the are wild caught. my Question is how long will it take for them to eat.

ps ones an eatern the other idk

[adamanteus]

Forget the crickets straight off. Garters don't eat crickets. It's going to take a few days for a snake to settle into it's new environment, so don't worry too much yet. Ensure the other environmental factors are correct (temperature, humidity etc. and very importantly, hides...the snake must feel secure in it's new surroundings). Once the snake has settled feeding should become quite easy.

[Josh]

ok noo crickets what about feeding guppies?

[ssssnakeluvr]

guppies will work....just put a few in a water dish and leave them....may take a week or 2 before the snake gets used to his new home. he will be fine....a snake that size can for for a month or 2 without food and be fine.

[Cazador]

Yep, sometimes individual snakes "buck the trend," but newly acquired snakes, particularily wild caught ones, often take 1-2 weeks before feeding in captivity. Have a look at the general care sheet to start off with:

http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet

[Josh]

thank you it helped a lot

[savannah825]

Hi.
Yeah, I'm a first time garter snake owner as well. My little girl is a Western Terrestrial Garter snake. I'm very surprised about how fast she has gotten used to her new habitat since she is wild caught. I've had her for a week and she just ate her first worms a couple days ago :) I reccommend starting with bigger worms, or feeder guppies. I know this might seem a little gross, but you can also try cutting the worm in half which will make it more appealing to the snake. My little snake can't resist a crazily wriggling worm :) I'll be getting some fish for my snake as well. I've choosen to get Rosey Red Minnows a.k.a Tuffies or Big Headed Minnows. I've choosen them over regular feeder guppies because some people sneek in baby goldfish (which you shouldn't feed) with the guppies. Also, the feeder guppies are usually more likely to be sick and carry harmful parasites. I chose Rosey Reds because they have less bones, and are pretty on the eyes :) and they are still very resonably priced.

[adamanteus]

I caught my Natrix n. helvetica 5 days ago, and I haven't even bothered to offer food yet. Later in the week, I will try to feed him, but I'm not too concerned just yet. I want to give him time to settle in and become accustomed to his new surroundings first, then he'll be more likely to accept food at the first attempt. As Rick stated earlier in this thread, a wild caught snake may fast for a week or two before feeding in captivity. I'll keep you all informed!