Picky eater

[radtad]

My neighbor caught a very large female plains garter last weekend and wants to know why it will not eat anything but night crawlers. Never had this issue so I put it out to the mass please help. I think I will end up with her from the way it sounds. Dad not real pleased that 10 year old daughter came home with it from a church retreat.

[kibakiba]

Some garter snakes just like to eat worms. Some cant stand fish or pinkies. If you scent the food with worm slime or blood she may take it, mistaking it for a worm instead of a guppy or pinky.

[guidofatherof5]

It just may be that snakes main food source. That's the way it is with my wild radix population but most will eagerly take pinkies(unscented) when offered.
From the sounds of it you'll soon have a blessed(church retreat) radix at your place.:D Lucky.
Photos as soon as you can, please.

[kibakiba]

I'm with Steve. I want pictures. Right now :D

[Selkielass]

Abby only wanted worms at first, but she took live guppies and minnows once she was comfortable in her surroundings and used to eating with a person nearby.

I started her on small-ish pinkies that were scented with worm slime so that they didn't smell or feel too different than the worms she was used to eating. (Anything too much larger in diameter than a nightcrawler was rejected at first- she didn't *want* to stretch her jaw around something larger and more substantial.)

It took teasing and repeated scenting but after a few feedings she began taking the pinkies eagerly after a single quick wipe down with a live worm, then she began taking them with no scenting, when she was actively hungry and hunting.

I'm about to try the same method to get her taking silversides and fish strips- so far fish are only yummy if they are alive and wiggling, but I'm determined.

[Snakeknot]

Try mixing a pinkie tail in with the rest of the worms. ( She might just think its a yummy albino worm! ) By the time she realizes it isn't, it will be halfway down and she'll already know what they taste like so maybe she won't be so willing to turn her nose up at them afterwards. Just a suggestion.

Devon

[radtad]

Thanks for all the input and yes If I am blessed with her I will post pics right away. I will pass this knowledge on to my neighbors.
Thanks again

[radtad]

Well this snake will becoming part of my household. Just got back from taking my kid to collage and my wife greeted me with (Guess what the Harcourts have a snake for you) I will go over tomorrow and retrieve this jewel :) and post pics.

[guidofatherof5]

Looking forward to seeing your new friend.

[jitami]

Good luck with the new girl :)

[ConcinusMan]

It's not too difficult to get a plains garter to expand their food preference. I found it's pretty easy to slowly introduce new foods with a few tricks and get them to take other things in the long term.

for example, a plains garter I have now was only fed tiny live fish. I got him to eat silversides fish meat. Then I started mixing in pinky parts and night crawlers.

That snake will eat anything now, without any special tricks.

Try chopping up some worms and mixing in chopped pinkies. Over several feedings, slowly back off of worms and feed more pinkies. Basically you have to transition them over gradually.

Also, try some trout, salmon, silversides, or other "safe" fish. Most plains garters will eat fish. If they'll eat fish, they'll eat anything that smells like fish. Even if it's just pinky parts rubbed with fish smell at first.