Lots of questions

[New Mutant]

I just got my first snake from Petco about a week ago, and I have a lot of questions.
It was sold as "garter snake", but I don't know the subspecies. I think it might be a ribbon snake. Here is a picture (I hope, this is my first time posting on a forum):
1235

I've been feeding him minnows every other day or so. Is that healthy enough for him? Should I give him vitamin or mineral supplements? Should I feed him other foods besides just minnows, or are they good enough? Am I feeding him too often? He didn't eat all of his last meal...

He runs and hides almost every time I approach his cage. I think it might be because I had started handling him a lot a few days after I got him. I don't do that anymore, but how do I get him to settle down and get used to me? I'm okay with not getting to hold him, but I'd like to at least watch him explore his cage.

I currently have him in a 10-gallon terrarium. Is that big enough? He's small enough to fit in my palm (and I am not a big person), but he's really long.

I have a ZooMed 10-20 gallon sized undertank heater on the side of his terrarium, and use the room lighting for his day-night cycle. Will he be warm enough? Is the light sufficient?

Sorry for making such a long post!

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

[infernalis]

Certainly looks like a ribbon snake to me.

My ribbon snake takes minnows and pinkie mice.

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Great to have you on the forum.
The care sheet is a good place to get many questions answered, here's a link:
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)
Nice looking snake.

[mustang]

nice ribbon snake...i would plan on gettn a bigger tank for a lifetime commitment thing....i got my little checkered in a 55gal ,im gonna make it 2 or 3 stories (hopefully)

[Selkielass]

Looks Ribbon-y to me, but I'm pretty much a beginner too.
I believe they prefer fish, but many can be trained to take mice etc.
Welcome to the forum!

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum!

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, New Mutant :)

[radtad]

Welcome aboard!:)

[Snakers]

Very nice snake and WELCOME!
P.S. make sure those minnows are safe!

[New Mutant]

Very nice snake and WELCOME!
P.S. make sure those minnows are safe!

Do you mean without thiaminise?

[guidofatherof5]

Very nice snake and WELCOME!
P.S. make sure those minnows are safe!


Do you mean without thiaminise?

Many minnow, especially bait shop ones can carry a heavy parasite load.
It's not just the thiaminase issue.

[drache]

welcome to the forum

[New Mutant]

Many minnow, especially bait shop ones can carry a heavy parasite load.
It's not just the thiaminase issue.

I get minnows from Petco. The staff said that they had been feeding them to him exclusively for the past 5 months (poor guy, no one wanted him). Would any potential problems have shown up by now?

[guidofatherof5]

Probably, but the sooner you get him switched over to a more healthy food the better.
A Calcium supp. would also be good. Here's what I use. The one with the pink label, third down:
Rep-Cal Supplements (http://www.repcal.com/supp.htm#Ultrafine)

[ConcinusMan]

Petco often sells ribbon snakes. My local store had eastern ribbon snakes for 5 bucks not long ago. It was tempting but they looked a bit undernourished. There were crickets in the enclosure.:rolleyes: That store carries no live fish that are appropriate for ribbons or garters so I guess they were feeding them crickets. They had some very tiny half-starved baby corn snakes too. Same thing, crickets in the enclosure. Stupid.

[ConcinusMan]

I would recommend using a florescent on a timer in addition to the undertank heater. Set the heat and light for 10-12 hours and if necessary, cover the tank at night so he gets darkness and a cool down.

irregular days and lack of natural-like light can cause your snake to be confused/depressed and have a poor appetite.

The tank size sounds more than adequate for now.

[New Mutant]

I would recommend using a florescent on a timer in addition to the undertank heater. Set the heat and light for 10-12 hours and if necessary, cover the tank at night so he gets darkness and a cool down.

irregular days and lack of natural-like light can cause your snake to be confused/depressed and have a poor appetite.

The tank size sounds more than adequate for now.

Thanks! I just added a heat lamp, and he really loves it. Just a few minutes after I set it up, he stuck his head out of his hide and started tongue-flicking. Over the next hour or so he was in and out of his hide, sunning himself and watching the cats play.

[ConcinusMan]

Well if that lamp puts out light then you can probably do without the florescent. I'm just saying that diurnal snakes, especially garters and ribbons like the "sun" and so simply giving them adequate heat without light is in my opinion, not enough.

[New Mutant]

Well if that lamp puts out light then you can probably do without the florescent. I'm just saying that diurnal snakes, especially garters and ribbons like the "sun" and so simply giving them adequate heat without light is in my opinion, not enough.

Oh yeah, I completely agree. I had thought he was sick or mentally damaged (I had a bad experience with poorly raised pet shop rats), but now that his lamp is set up he is acting just like he's supposed to, exploring his cage and being curious.

[New Mutant]

How does one tell the difference between a western ribbon snake and an eastern ribbon snake?
Here's another picture of my snake.

[kibakiba]

Besides where they're found, there could be a difference in appearances. From the pictures I've personally seen a western ribbon snake has a more elongated looking face and is usually more blue-greenish tinted and the eastern ribbon snake is kind of a yellowy green. However, this is based off what I've seen. I don't know anything about ribbon snakes other than they are adorable :D

[ConcinusMan]

I'm not all that familiar with ribbon snakes but I've seen plenty of snakes labeled "western ribbon snake" in pet stores. They have all been essentially black and white.

I can't really say what species yours is but I can say it looks a bit different than the "western ribbon snakes" I have seen in pet stores. They are never "yellowy green" and they never really have much color to them and never have lateral stripes a different color than the dorsal, or much color to them at all.

I'm no expert at all but yours doesn't look like a western. All western ribbon snakes I've ever seen looked like this:

http://ngaherps.com.previewyoursite.com/ERibbon.jpg

[kibakiba]

The pet shop here had a "western ribbon" and it was a yellowy green colour. But, for all we know it could have been anything else. They don't even know what they're selling. They've had a checkered garter snake labled as "RARE- checkered corn snake" for 350. Yeah right. I really hate such stupid people, I hope no one bought it thinking it was really a corn snake. It didn't even look like one!

[Stefan-A]

I'm not all that familiar with ribbon snakes but I've seen plenty of snakes labeled "western ribbon snake" in pet stores. They have all been essentially black and white.
"Western ribbon snake" refers to both T. proximus and its subspecies T. proximus proximus and that's why scientific names are fun and common names suck.

[ConcinusMan]

So hey Stefan, in your opinion is the one I showed a different species than New Mutant's snake? (one's for sale here always look like the one I showed, no variation) if so what are the scientific names of each of the two snakes?

[BUSHSNAKE]

is it the "scientific name" or latin name?

[ConcinusMan]

You know what I meant. Yes, I prefer to say "latin name" too but that's not the term stefan used so I just followed suit.

[guidofatherof5]

"Western ribbon snake" refers to both T. proximus and its subspecies T. proximus proximus and that's why scientific names are fun and common names suck.

Don't hold back Stefan. Tell us how you really feel:D

[Stefan-A]

So hey Stefan, in your opinion is the one I showed a different species than New Mutant's snake? (one's for sale here always look like the one I showed, no variation) if so what are the scientific names of each of the two snakes?
Can't tell.

[Stefan-A]

is it the "scientific name" or latin name?
Scientific name. It's usually not Latin, but Latinized Greek (i.e. Greek written according to the rules of Latin). Meaning, it's neither Greek nor Latin and it's not the Latin common name either.

Anyway:
Binomial nomenclature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binomial_nomenclature)

[Stefan-A]

Don't hold back Stefan. Tell us how you really feel:D
I can't do that on this forum. I have to tone it down quite a bit.

[BUSHSNAKE]

wheres the fun in that?

[BUSHSNAKE]

thanks for the correction...i will follow

[ConcinusMan]

Oh hey guys, just made a little visit to the petco by my house, and low and behold, what do I find in the reptile section? That same species of ribbon snake, labeled as "garter snake". Pretty handsome and nice colors.

As I was making a purchase, I said "you guys know what's funny about those so-called garter snakes?" and before I could say anything, a very nice clerk said, "yeah, they're ribbon snakes"

They had two of them and they were quite large and healthy but $19.99 is a little rich for my blood for something like that.

[Stefan-A]

As I was making a purchase, I said "you guys know what's funny about those so-called garter snakes?" and before I could say anything, a very nice clerk said, "yeah, they're ribbon snakes"
They're not mutually exclusive. The two species of ribbon snakes are as much garter snakes, as the plains garter or the common garter.

ps. scientific names ftw

[New Mutant]

I read that Westerns have two little spots on their heads. Percy (my snake) has the spots, but the snake in the picture doesn't. That snake certainly doesn't look like him, but could part of it be that Percy is younger?

[New Mutant]

[QUOTE=ConcinnusMan;141514]Oh hey guys, just made a little visit to the petco by my house, and low and behold, what do I find in the reptile section? That same species of ribbon snake, labeled as "garter snake". Pretty handsome and nice colors.[QUOTE]

Yeah, I saw one in a different Petco last year and fell in love. It was the most beautiful reptile I had ever seen, but I thought that since I had never heard of a "garter snake" before, it must be an extremely rare and difficult-to-care-for snake. Obviously, I am a newbie.

[guidofatherof5]

QUOTE]Yeah, I saw one in a different Petco last year and fell in love. It was the most beautiful reptile I had ever seen, but I thought that since I had never heard of a "garter snake" before, it must be an extremely rare and difficult-to-care-for snake. Obviously, I am a newbie.[/QUOTE]

Everyone has to start somewhere. Don't worry about it.
You are already learning what wonderful snakes garter snakes are.
It will only get better.
If you haven't read the care sheet I strongly suggest it. Here's a link: Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)

[kibakiba]

I read that Westerns have two little spots on their heads. Percy (my snake) has the spots, but the snake in the picture doesn't. That snake certainly doesn't look like him, but could part of it be that Percy is younger?


I read about that too. If he doesn't look like the one in the picture it could be that he's young, but they don't change too much appearance-wise when they grow up. When snakey was a baby his red stripe was much less colourful as it is now. It was almost a salmon-y kind of orange pink. Now its nicely red-orange but he looks like he did as a baby! :)
It could just be that he's not that type of ribbon snake, though. A vet that specializes in snakes may be able to tell you exactly what he is, but some are just as bad as pet shops. The vet called my macaw a "parakeet" :confused: and told me that I was stupid for thinking he was a macaw. Never went there again. What rude people.

[Mommy2many]

Your ribbon snake looks like the Eastern Ribbon Snake that I had. Same coloring and features.

[New Mutant]

Here's another picture of him. Sorry about the poop, but can anyone tell if he's really a male or not?

[Mommy2many]

I'm guessing male but I'm no expert. Let's see what others have to say!

[ConcinusMan]

EEEWW! Nice pic.

Obviously male

[kibakiba]

It looks to be male. Below the cloaca there's a bit of length before it tapers. That's where his hemipenes are.

[New Mutant]

It looks to be male. Below the cloaca there's a bit of length before it tapers. That's where his hemipenes are.

Thank goodness! I was afraid I'd have to re-name him.

[ConcinusMan]

I wouldn't worry about it. I have a boy named Amy. Not going to change it now.

[New Mutant]

The day before yesterday, Percy shed his skin for the first time since I got him! I was so proud. I took a picture of it, but I don't know where the camera is right now, so I'll put it up later. I checked it, and both of his eyecaps shed fine. His pattern seems more complex now, with little black and white speckles in between contrasting scales, almost like the spots in larger garters.

I looked for worms at Walmart, but the closest thing they had was nightcrawler-cube fish bait. Would that be a healthy treat for him?

[guidofatherof5]

The day before yesterday, Percy shed his skin for the first time since I got him! I was so proud. I took a picture of it, but I don't know where the camera is right now, so I'll put it up later. I checked it, and both of his eyecaps shed fine. His pattern seems more complex now, with little black and white speckles in between contrasting scales, almost like the spots in larger garters.

I looked for worms at Walmart, but the closest thing they had was nightcrawler-cube fish bait. Would that be a healthy treat for him?

I wouldn't risk it. Wait for the real night crawlers.
Don't buy the Pan Fish worms. Those are toxic to garter snakes.

[guidofatherof5]

Here's another picture of him. Sorry about the poop, but can anyone tell if he's really a male or not?

I would say you have a male there.
Nice poop:D
Here's a link that will help you learn how to sex your snakes.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/breeding/5069-sexing-pics.html

[New Mutant]

He's been a little bit more active recently, but he is still almost always in his hide. He retreats into his hide if he sees me and bolts when I try to pick him up. How do I make him friendlier? This is very important to me, because the main reason I wheedled my mother into letting me get a snake instead of a lizard is because they're supposed to be so much more loveable and friendly (and he is oh-so-loveable, it's just hard to be friends with an animal that hides whenever it sees you).

[kibakiba]

You have to give them time, they'll become trusting of you on their own time. What I do to make mine more trusting is holding my hand in the tank and letting them get to know me more and learn that I won't hurt them. Doing daily things like changing their water or feeding is also a good way for them to trust you more. They'll learn that you provide the food, shelter and water for them. It can take a while for them to trust you enough to not get spooked when you go near the enclosure. If you move slowly it'll scare them less.

[New Mutant]

That's a relief. Reading about all the other snakes being so good with their keepers was making me start to wonder if there was something wrong with Percy's personality. Thanks, kibakiba.

[New Mutant]

...but he is still almost always in his hide...


The Lord has a reason for everything. When I went into the spare room to scoop the litter box, I saw that my mom's Maine Coon kitten was punching the mesh out of the lid of Percy's cage. I pulled the mesh back up as best as I could and covered that end with a large book, but now I sure am glad that he'll be spending the night napping in his hide at the other end of the cage. I put the litter box into the hallway and shut the door, so the cats won't be able to cause him any more trouble tonight.

[kibakiba]

No problem, a lot of new garter owners worry about that. Garters have a very large range of personalities, but they all come to know you as the one who cares for them and will be less scared of you. I mean, Mama used to hate me. Hissing and striking at me all the time, now she cuddles with me and gets neck massages and worms whenever she likes... Only to throw a few hissy fits when she doesn't get her way :D She's trained me very well. ;)

[kibakiba]

Make sure he wont be able to reach the part that got ripped, they are escape artists and if he can reach it chances are he'll be able to get out.

[Selkielass]

Don't worry too much about him hiding all the time- some snakes do, and in the wild its a very good survival strategy.
My Abby is a hider, and still spends most of her days curled up in her coconut shell or in her greenery with just her head poking out to see whats going on. As she became relaxed and comfortable, she began taking dusk and dawn prowls around her enclosure, but she still spends 98% of her time with all but her head under cover.

When I take her out its a different story- she is calm, gentle (Never struck at anything but food.) and is perfectly content to curl up in or under a hand or along the crook of an arm. She explores a bit, but seldom bolts unless startled- she just likes to feel covered and safe unless she is out hunting.

I think she now looks forward to handling as I feed her when the handling session is over. When returned to her tank, if she is even slightly hungry, she will climb into her feeding plant and wait eagerly for the food to appear.
Conditioning really does work!

[guidofatherof5]

Conditioning really does work!

Yes. She's done a good job on you:D

Glad to see she got you trained well.
I think humans make good pets for garter snakes:D I know I don't mind.

[Selkielass]

Aww, Why must you go shredding my delusions of superiority? Huh?

[guidofatherof5]

Aww, Why must you go shredding my delusions of superiority? Huh?

"We are Thamnophis, resistance is futile":D

[New Mutant]

I'm planning on getting him a bigger tank, especially since fish tanks are on sale at Petco right now. If I got another Thamnophis that was already accustomed to people to be a cagemate, would it be more likely that Percy learns to be friendlier or that the new snake learns from Percy to be fearful? Would they get along?

[kibakiba]

I don't think that they'd teach Percy to be less fearful, and if it got shipped the new snake could easily be frightened just from being on a truck for hours and hours. That's what happened to Snapdragon. Her brother is the calmest baby I've seen, and Richard said both of them tolerated handling but now she freaks out if I hold her. You cant tell if they'd get along or not, some snakes don't do so well with other snakes and it could make them more skittish. Fish tanks are not good to keep garters in. You need a top that they cant get out of.

[ConcinusMan]

Fish tanks are fine and there are screen tops you can buy made to fit many standard sizes. It's just that they must be clipped on or weighed down whereas the slide lock type tops do not.

If you buy a fish tank, make sure that before you do, you can get a screen top to fit it. For mostly terrestrial snakes like garters, I recommend you get one no taller than 20 inches or you'll be wasting money on more "gallons" that is taken up by useless vertical space. Most reptile lighting is meant to be within 18 inches of the floor and is most efficient when applied within that distance. Think short height, big floor area. Don't worry so much about gallons.

For example, a 33 gallon long has more floor space (48X13) than 55 gallon long (48X12) and is only 12 inches tall so given a choice, I'd take the 33 gallon.

[New Mutant]

I got a screen top for it, and I'm going to weigh it down with a book. It's a 20-gallon.

There's a really tame ribbon snake at another pet shop. It comes right up to look at me. The worker said that they are "easy to breed" but two males would fight in the breeding season. However, I just want 2 snakes, not 50. Do males fight in the breeding season? If they do, could I avoid that by not hibernating them? Is 20 gallons big enough for two ribbons?

[ConcinusMan]

I got a screen top for it, and I'm going to weigh it down with a book. It's a 20-gallon.

A book? Doesn't sound like quite the right idea.




Do males fight in the breeding season? If they do, could I avoid that by not hibernating them? Is 20 gallons big enough for two ribbons?

No, they simply compete for her attention harmlessly. No to the second question. Breeding time is generally the female's choice. brumating only makes her more likely to be ready for breeding. The boys have no choice but to be attracted to her and to compete for their chance to mate at that time. Brumating simply triggers her receptiveness which she advertises to males by excreting attracting pheromones. To answer the third question - probably. Depends on the size of the snakes and whether or not you can create an adequate temperature gradient in that tank.

[New Mutant]

Oh, okay. So if there is just 2 males and no females, they won't fight?

[guidofatherof5]

Oh, okay. So if there is just 2 males and no females, they won't fight?

In all my years keeping garter snakes I've never seen aggression outside of food time.
I have a group of 24 males that get along great.;)

[New Mutant]

Thanks. Well, Percy may be getting a new friend sometime!

I found the nightcrawlers at Walmart today. How does one prepare them? I read that they get mushy if they are rinsed, but how do I get the dirt off?

[ConcinusMan]

Aw, heck. My T.s. concinnus and T. ordinoides seem to enjoy each others company. With the exception of the babies born this year, I don't even see much aggression at feeding time with the particular group of adults I have together in one tank. Of course, that doesn't mean squat. Individual snakes behave differently under individual circumstances.

I think I just got lucky with this particular group of adults. They are quite polite (for a snake) at feeding time and they even seem to calculate and take care so that they don't bite my fingers. You can see them analyzing and calculating before they bite. It's so cute.

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks. Well, Percy may be getting a new friend sometime!

I found the nightcrawlers at Walmart today. How does one prepare them? I read that they get mushy if they are rinsed, but how do I get the dirt off?

Bigger snakes get whole worms. Smaller snakes get chunks. Babies get smaller chunks.
Night crawlers don't get mushy when wet. They just get slimy and hard to hold on to.
I don't worry too much about the dirt. Much of it falls off as you are working with the worms or fall off as it's being eaten.
It's really your call on the dirt. I do know that some forum members wash the worms before they feed them off.

[ConcinusMan]

I buy night crawlers regularly and the "dirt" pretty much just falls off them. Besides that, the worms are filled with the stuff. If you're just buying bait night crawlers, there's no need to wash them. A little dirt never hurt anyone.

[guidofatherof5]

I buy night crawlers regularly and the "dirt" pretty much just falls off them. Besides that, the worms are filled with the stuff. If you're just buying bait night crawlers, there's no need to wash them. A little dirt never hurt anyone.

Some study find that if the soil the worms live in is rich in calcium it becomes a benefit to the snakes that eat them.
This also lends the idea of gut loading the worms we feed them. In my case it wouldn't work to well as they aren't here long enough to get a meal:D
I looked for the study but can't find it at this time. I'll keep looking and post a link.

[Selkielass]

I was questioning the nutritional value of bait shop worms a while ago, and after some online research and input her I decided to stick with worms from my own pesticide free back yard as much as possible, and to gut- load worms kept in a worm box with calcium rich worm food. I still alternate with fish and pinky mice just to be safe.

If the worms from your local store aren't fat, active and lively, they may be short on nutrition, and possibly starving themselves. Check the 'freshness date' on worms wherever you purchase them- try to get worms fresh from the worm farm, so they haven't been sitting in the store refrigerator for weeks starving and losing nutritional value.

A little dirt isn't going to hurt anything, but if it bugs you then swish the worms gently in lukewarm water to clean them up a little. My backyard soil is really clay-heavy and it sticks *hard* to worms.- I drop them in a shallow dish of water and my snakes gobble them up as they crawl out nearly clean.

[guidofatherof5]

I was questioning the nutritional value of bait shop worms a while ago, and after some online research and input her I decided to stick with worms from my own pesticide free back yard as much as possible, and to gut- load worms kept in a worm box with calcium rich worm food. I still alternate with fish and pinky mice just to be safe.

If the worms from your local store aren't fat, active and lively, they may be short on nutrition, and possibly starving themselves. Check the 'freshness date' on worms wherever you purchase them- try to get worms fresh from the worm farm, so they haven't been sitting in the store refrigerator for weeks starving and losing nutritional value.

A little dirt isn't going to hurt anything, but if it bugs you then swish the worms gently in lukewarm water to clean them up a little. My backyard soil is really clay-heavy and it sticks *hard* to worms.- I drop them in a shallow dish of water and my snakes gobble them up as they crawl out nearly clean.

Sounds like you've got things handled.

[New Mutant]

Gotta love Kansas. I'm currently the "safe room" in my basement with my human family (the cats would get into too much trouble, so they're in the basement bathroom) because of a tornado warning. Percy, however, is still in my bedroom (in the basement) in his cage. My mom says that the cage will keep him safe, though. And I was just preparing for his move to the new tank!

[guidofatherof5]

Keep safe.;)

[New Mutant]

No tornadoes came, but there was some massive hail! I finished setting up Percy's new tank, and it looks swell. Here is a picture of it, and his shed skin. Is there anything I should do to make it safer or better in any way (besides mounting his lamp on something rather than setting it on the top)?
I gave him 2 chopped up nightcrawlers, but he has only eaten the pieces that were still moving, so far.

[guidofatherof5]

Is that sand substrate?

From the forum care sheet:
Substrate

Substrate is the material that is used to cover the floor of your cage. There are a wide variety of substrates to choose from, but some are better than others and some should be avoided at all costs. Your substrate, whatever the choice, should be kept dry. Prolonged exposure to a moist substrate will surely cause blisters on your snake, making him sick and even possibly killing him.
Substrates to avoid:
Sand of any kind - it irritates the snake's scales, eyes, sticks to food, and if ingested in can readily cause impaction.
clay cat litter of any kind- for the same reasons as sand, not to mention its extremely dusty and would irritate their respiratory tract
Cedar shavings, pine shavings, sawdust -both cedar and pine are very bad for a snake's respiratory tract
Gravel - Gravel is non-absorbent and is a very bad choice for snakes. It traps urine and feces, and does not soak them up and will breed heavy amounts of bacteria, causing your cage to turn into a cesspool.
Corn Cob -it's easily accidentally swallowed during feeding, and will not soften or break down. Baby snakes are especially at risk and are practically guaranteed death if they ingest even a single piece of corn cob.

[New Mutant]

No, it's paper towels. The camera doesn't always get good detail. Thanks for the advice, though.

[guidofatherof5]

No, it's paper towels. The camera doesn't always get good detail. Thanks for the advice, though.

Good deal.;)

[New Mutant]

Is the amount of thiaminase in rosy red minnows enough to be harmful if fed exclusively? Are there supplements I could add to make this diet completely balanced, should I just try my hardest to find a different species of fish (the only species available in the pet shops are minnows and /shudder/ goldfish), or is the only possible solution to switch to mice?

[Mommy2many]

I would only feed them as treats. I supplement feedings with salmon, pinkies, night crawlers and slugs. I give the live fish (as those are the only kind I can get here) as a treat. I worry about diseased feeder fish and the health of my snakes.

[New Mutant]

He apparently only eats food if it's moving. When I fed him today, I dropped a minnow in front of him. He darted out to get it, but then it stopped moving. He was literally face-to-face with it, their noses all but touching, in the perfect position for an easy swallow, but he just stared at it perplexedly until it flopped again. Then he regained interest and caught it. Would using feeding tongs properly replicate the flip-flopping?

[guidofatherof5]

He apparently only eats food if it's moving. When I fed him today, I dropped a minnow in front of him. He darted out to get it, but then it stopped moving. He was literally face-to-face with it, their noses all but touching, in the perfect position for an easy swallow, but he just stared at it perplexedly until it flopped again. Then he regained interest and caught it. Would using feeding tongs properly replicate the flip-flopping?

It's worth a try.;)

[Fishsticks]

Howdy New Mutant. Welcome to the board.
(Apparently I missed a lot of posts during my reading. Fixed.)

[ConcinusMan]

That's it you're banned Fishsticks. Maybe we should all find a way to flog you as well. And then feed you to our snakes. I mean, my snakes like fish so what the heck.

JK :p:p:p

[New Mutant]

My mom was actually going to buy me some tongs the other day, but I said that I would never need them. Irony.

[ConcinusMan]

I just use some needlenose craft pliers (extra long nose) I have on hand which I was using to work on computers. Works great for inserting and removing drive/board jumpers and feeding baby snakes! My adults are very trusting and know me. I just feed them from my fingers.

[New Mutant]

What type of fish would be best to feed him?

[Fishsticks]

That's it you're banned Fishsticks. Maybe we should all find a way to flog you as well. And then feed you to our snakes. I mean, my snakes like fish so what the heck.

JK :p:p:p

OH NOES. -weep- Virtual flogging is the worst!

[ConcinusMan]

What type of fish would be best to feed him?

Them... mostly big girls.:D

I suppose the best choices for fish would depend on your area of the country and what's available at your local grocery store.

By far the cleanest (low contaminants such as PCB's and mercury) fish I find locally would be farmed tilapia and steelhead trout. I also feed them S.F. Bay brand "Sally's silversides" from the pet store. You can't really go wrong with the silversides (arctic pond trout) but you have to be careful when it comes to fish from the supermarket, even if it's thiaminase-free.

[New Mutant]

Oh, I was talking about my snake. How big are the silversides?

[ConcinusMan]

Oh, I was talking about my snake.

LoL. I know, I was trying to make a point humorously. The point being that those two fish if you can get them would be good for your garters or mine.;)



How big are the silversides?

around 3 inches on average I would say. I get them from a freezer with pinkies and fish food in it, at petco.:cool:

[New Mutant]

How long should a new snake be kept in quarantine before putting him in with a current snake?

[Stefan-A]

Ideally, at least 3 months.

[New Mutant]

What about less ideally?

[Stefan-A]

Two months. There is one somewhat common disease, the name escapes me at the moment, that has an incubation period of about 60 days.

[New Mutant]

Well, I got my new boy today! He's super sweet, and I love him so much. He lets me hold him and he even let me get some nasty fleck of wood out of his mouth with my fingernail (which I keep very clean). He doesn't run away or bang his head on the side of his cage when I stick my hand in, unlike Percy. I hope that once the quarantine is over he will be a good example to Percy and teach him to be less high-strung. His name is Luke.
Here's some pictures of him and his temporary cage.