Baby snakes

[gartermorphs]

im new to the world of baby snakes and was wondering how much of what i should feed them and how often and i want to know the same thing with a yearling

[gartermorphs]

please help i really would like a little bit more info!

[infernalis]

I feed babies every other day, a yearling about every three days.

Others may do it differently, but this formula works for me.

[Nafun]

Depends on what you're feeding them. In general, the younger and smaller a snake is, the more often it will want to eat.

You can offer worms every two days, or fish (live or filet dusted in calcium, make sure it's a non-thiaminase species) twice a week. If you can get it to take small pinkies, then every 5-7 days.

Yearlings, assuming they're on rodents, can be fed once a week like any other snake.

Imo, feed the snake when it's hungry. You'll learn to recognize the signs.

[infernalis]

I don't quite know about that Nafun, Garters are hyper active snakes, pacing the cage and exploring all day long.

Milks, Corns, Kings, Boids, etc... sit under the hides all day long.

I have a whole bunch of garter snakes here that demand to be fed every 3-4 days or they get damn cranky.

I let them go 6 days without food (waiting on a big frozen rodent order) and they all bit me when I went to feed them.

[Nafun]

Well, I fed my garters yesterday, and today one of them is trying to catch the guppies living in his water dish.

[Atlas511]

Can you list some non-thiaminase species that I can offer?

[infernalis]

Here is a list that steve found/compiled....


The follow list of Safe and Unsafe fish is paraphrased from: Nutrient Requirements of Mink and Foxes, Second Revised Edition, 1982(http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1114&page=64 (http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1114&page=64)) This should not be considered a complete list!

Unsafe fish (Species reported to contain thiaminase)

Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
Anchovies (Anchoa hepsetus)
Anchovies (Engraulis mordax)
Bass (white) (Lepibema chrysops)
Black quahog (Artica islandica)
Bowfin (dogfish) (Amia calva)
Bream (Abramis brama)
Buckeye shiner (Notropus atherionoides)
Buffalofish (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
Bull Head (Ameirurus m. melas)
Burbot (Lota lota maculosa)
Burbot (Lota lota)
Butterfish (Poronotus triacanthus)
Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Catfish (channel) (Ictalurus laccustris punctatus)
Clams (chowder, steamer, cherrystone)
Fathead minnow (Primephales p. promelas)
Garfish (garpike)
Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Herring (Baltic) (Clupea harengus var. membranus)
Herring (Clupea harengus)
Lamprey (adult) (Petromyzon marintus)
Mackerel (Scomber japonicas) (Pacific)
Menhaden (Brecoortia tyrannus)
Menhaden (large scale) (Brecoortia patronus)
Moray ell (Gymnothorax ocellatus)
Mussel (bigtoe) (Pluerobema cordatum)
Razor belly (scaled sardine) (Harengula pensacolae)
Sauger (Stizostedion c. canadense)
Scallop (Placopecten grandis)
Sculpin (Myooxocephalus quadricornis thompsonii)
Shad (gizzard) (Dorosoma cepedianum)
Shiner (spottail) (Notropis hudsonius)
Smelt (freshwater) (Osmerus mordax)
Stoneroller (central) (Campostoma anomalum pullum)
Sucker (common white) (Catostomus c. commersonii)
White bass (Lepimbema chrysops)
Whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum quadriaterale)
White fish (Coregonus clupeaformis)


Safe fish (Species reported not to contain thiaminase)


Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis)
Bass (largemouth) (Huro salmoides)
Bass (rock) (Ambloplites r. rupestris)
Bass (smallmouth) (Micropterus d. dolomieu)
Black backs (pseudopleuronectes americanus)
Bluegill (Lepomis m. macrochirus)
Chub (bloater) (Coregonus hoyi)
Cod (Gadus morrhua)
Crappie (Pomoxis nigro-maculatus)
Croaker (Micropogon undulatus)
Cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus)
Cusk (Brosme brosme)
Cutlassfish (silver eel) (Trichiurus lepturus)
Dogfish (squalus acanthias)
Eel (anguilla rostrata)
Gar (northern longnose) (Lepisosteus osseus oxyurus)
Haddack (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)
Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)
Hake (Urophycis spp.)
Herring (Leucichthys artedi areturus)
King whiting (ground whiting) (Menticirrhus americanus)
Lemon sole (Psuedopleuronectes americanus dignabilis)
Lizard Fish (Synodus foetens)
Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)
Mullet (Mugil spp.)
Perch (yellow) (Perca flavescens)
Pike (northern) (Esox lucius)
Pike (wall-eyed) (stizostedion vitreum)
Plaice (Canadian) (Hippoglossoides platessoides)
Pollock (Pollachitus virens)
Porgy (scup) (Stenotomus aculeatus)
Porgy (scup) (Stenotomus chrysops)
Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
Redfish (Sebastes marinus)
Salmon (Salmo salar)
Salmon (Coho) (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
Seabass (centropristis striatas)
Sea catfish (galeichthys felis)
Sea robin (Prionotus spp.)
Smelt (pond) (Hypomesus olidus)
Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus)
Squid (Loligo brevis)
Tautog (blackfish) (Tautoga onitis)
Trout (brown) (Salmo trutta fario)
Trout (lake) (Christiconer n. namaycush)
Trout (rainbow) (Salmo gairdnerii irideus)
White trout (Cynoscion nothus)
White trout (Cynoscion avenarius)
Whiting (Merluccius bilinearis)
Yellow tails (Limanda ferruginea)[/

[Nafun]

Tropical:
Guppies
Platyfish
Cichlid

Freshwater:
Bluegill (and related panfish)
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Chub
Salmon
Trout

Marine:
Flounder
Plaice
Halibut
Cod
Haddock
Pollock
Mackeral
Perch


This is not, by any means a complete list.

As for what definitely does contain thiaminase.

ALL carp. That means koi, goldfish, rosy reds, minnows, etc.
Most catfish
Whitefish
Smelt
White Trout
Tuna
Anchovies

[Mommy2many]

I feed my babies (11 months old) every other day. The beggars would eat everyday if I let them:D

[Stefan-A]

As for what definitely does contain thiaminase.

Whitefish
Smelt

Depends on the species. European smelt doesn't contain thiaminase and neither do all species of whitefish (a rough estimate is that there are around 70 species).

[Bakewell]

Just to add to this can I feed a Garter on a staple diet of fish?

[guidofatherof5]

Just to add to this can I feed a Garter on a staple diet of fish?

You can but variety is best. Each food source has something to offer.
A well balanced diet offers them the best each food has to offer. Just my opinion.

[Bakewell]

You can but variety is best. Each food source has something to offer.
A well balanced diet offers them the best each food has to offer. Just my opinion.


Yep I can thoroughly understand that thanks :)

[bigpig]

Hiya,
How much should I be feed a baby garter.
With my other species of snake I give food that is about 10% of their body weight once a week.
I believe that I should be feeding this wee fella every 2 or 3 days?
so far he has eaten some trout, 3 small pea sized pieces.
I have read that he can be given as much as he can eat? is this correct or will he over eat?

[guidofatherof5]

Hiya,
How much should I be feed a baby garter.
With my other species of snake I give food that is about 10% of their body weight once a week.
I believe that I should be feeding this wee fella every 2 or 3 days?
so far he has eaten some trout, 3 small pea sized pieces.
I have read that he can be given as much as he can eat? is this correct or will he over eat?

Baby garters are on the fast track to grow. Every 2 day is when I feed mine. I usually let the babies eat until they look plump. I don't let them eat until they can't move though.
The little beggars do a lot of exploring and burn off a lot of food. I usually feed my babies this way for the first year. I'm working with T.radix mainly.
Hope this helps.

[Mommy2many]

I did the same as Steve. My babies were fed almost every day. Depends on what you are offering. Earthworms don't last too long but salmon may get them by a day or two. Pinky parts I think would hold them over longer as well as silversides or live fish. I usually don't let them go more than a day or two between feedings, even now at 10 months.

[ConcinusMan]

I did the same as Steve. My babies were fed almost every day. Depends on what you are offering. Earthworms don't last too long but salmon may get them by a day or two. Pinky parts I think would hold them over longer as well as silversides or live fish. I usually don't let them go more than a day or two between feedings, even now at 10 months.

Yeah, you would think that pinky parts would hold them over but Amy would pig out on them every single day if I let her. I just feed her until she looks just a little thick, and about every other day, sometimes two days in a row, then 2 days off. She's over a year old now but she's an eating, growing machine.

Every time she's offered food, she acts like she hasn't been fed in a month.:rolleyes: She bit my palm today(pinky smell on it) and seemed very determined to swallow my entire hand. Took at least 5 minutes for her to give up, and that was AFTER I fed her about half a pinky.

I guess my point is, even if you're feeding pinkies, there's nothing wrong with feeding a rapidly growing garter every day or two, just don't let them eat to the point of bursting. Give them very moderate feedings if it's pinkies and every day or two. With fish and worms, you could stuff them every day, and the next day it has already passed through them. They do need a lot more food (and make a lot more poop) if it's fish and worms.

With slow-growing fully adult snakes you have to be careful not to overfeed them. They can get obese and suffer health problems. At summer-like temperatures, a good rodent meal can hold an adult over for a week, perhaps longer.

[Snaky]

I feed my snakes always the same. Adult, newborn, yearling, ... they all get feeding once a week as much as they want.
Here they always get fish.:)

[ConcinusMan]

If they are fish eaters, you can usually throw in some pinky parts and mix it in. Chances are they'll eat it. They'll grow faster, and have more complete nutrition than fish and worms alone.

[bigpig]

Thanks for those useful replies.
I will keep feeding every couple of days as I want to get some weight on this wee fella.
The shop had been feeding him bits of cooked fish from fish burgers etc, and also had not fed him for 10 days at one point, because they were ill.
I hope he grows up healthy after this less than ideal start in life.

[gartermorphs]

yeah now there being fed tropical guppies worms and pinky parts every other day and theyve already grown! i had never realized before how fast garter snakes grow!

[guidofatherof5]

yeah now there being fed tropical guppies worms and pinky parts every other day and theyve already grown! i had never realized before how fast garter snakes grow!

They are little growing machines.:D

[Mix]

Just a quick question - some people have recommended leaving off the handling of the snake for a day after it has eaten to avoid regurgitation; if this is so, and the snake is being fed every other day, would you never be handling the snake?

I feed my 6 month old a 1" strip of fish (trout etc) every 3 days, with calcium+vit powder on about 2 times in the month. Is this ok? She doesn't seem to mind :)

[mustang]

They are little growing machines.:D
mines stubborn:mad:he aint grow'n:(:obut all the chicks at school think hes cute

[gartermorphs]

Just a quick question - some people have recommended leaving off the handling of the snake for a day after it has eaten to avoid regurgitation; if this is so, and the snake is being fed every other day, would you never be handling the snake?

I feed my 6 month old a 1" strip of fish (trout etc) every 3 days, with calcium+vit powder on about 2 times in the month. Is this ok? She doesn't seem to mind :)
ive never had a problem with regurgitation
but i do know that your little snakey would do well with some variety give him/her some worms and live fish too every once in a while maybe even some pinky parts! expecially since they have such a varied diet in the wild