Stubborn snake won't switch food

[fish_4_all]

I have tried scenting the fish with slug, I tried a line to move it around, I even tried wrapping the fish in slug skin and still no luck. Same with frozen pinkies. I admit I have only been trying for 10 days or so but this snake is stubborn! I have not fed it a slug in 6 days so maybe it will simply get hungry enough it will finaly take something different and I will get it off slugs.

[ssssnakeluvr]

what kind of garter is it? some absolutely refuse to switch....I have an anery northwestern that refuses everything but worms.... he's doing jsut fine eating just worms too

[Odie]

Although it is slug season, try Earthworms :D

[fish_4_all]

Northwestern.
I tried worms and no go, yet. It will look at them while they move, taste them and turn up it's nose. i wish i could find how to raise slugs in large numbers and not have any of them escape. I think 100 baby slugs getting out owuld be worse than having live mice get out.

[ssssnakeluvr]

you may need to brumate him....some snakes will go off feed automatically. since you aren't breeding them, make sure he doesn't eat for at least 2 weeks, them brumate him a month (cooled to low 50's), then warm him up...should kick in his appetite. I do that with all my babies that go off feed

[fish_4_all]

I don't know how to brumate so I guess I need to read a lot more. I guess I could put a lot of material in the 10 gallon and provide a good solid burrow spot for it. But I am not gonna try it until I know how to set up something to do it right and not kill her.

[ssssnakeluvr]

it's fairly easy. just make sure he has water and check on him every few days. he will still be active, although not as much. put him in a cool area, like a garage or somewhere in the basement where the temps stay low. if you notice him losing weight then he needs to come out. otherwise a month should do the trick.

[fish_4_all]

Okay, so no food for another week, then move to the garage for cold temps. Garage should run 40-50. until later this fall into December. I don't want to put her out until another week has passed? Or can I do it now since it has been a weel since last slug feeding?

[ssssnakeluvr]

yes, you want a minimum of 2 weeks to make absolutely sure no food is in his system. then off to the garage for a month! :D

[RedSidedSPR]

Have you tried live fish? That was what got mine eating. If that dosnt work though, yeah brumating him is probaly the best thing to do. mines stopped eating, im brumating next week. ( this is my first snake two)

[fish_4_all]

I haven't tried live fish yet, can't find feeders yet. Localy there has been an issue with disease and bad batches. I am going to try as soon as I can find some.

My Brumate attempt was short lived. I moved the snake in the garage and it quickly went south. The snake got lythargic and after 3 days I found it laying belly up. Thought it was dead but it is doing fine now. Have been feeding it slugs again until I can find live fish or the nsake decides to take fish fillets. Live and learn, thankfully I didn't kill it on my first try.

[ConcinusMan]

They're supposed to get lethargic. Belly up isn't normal, but lethargic, yes. All but one of my Northwesterns are brumating now at 50 degrees and they are still active. They will stay this way for 4 months and will be none the worse for it come spring, other than a little lost weight. They can even handle mid 40's which they will get later, and be fine but you have to fast them for several weeks and cool them down gradually before brumating.

Good luck getting a slug eating northwestern to eat anything else. I haven't been able to do it in over 2 decades. Even scenting worms with slugs won't work if the snake only wants slugs so you can forget about fish or pinkies. Your only other option is brumating him when it's too cold for slugs, like it or not. Believe me, if he's prepared ahead of time (at least two weeks no food, then gradual cooling down to about 50) you could keep him at 45-50 for 5 months and he would be OK. Keeping him as warm as room temperature even, without adequate food, will cause him to lose weight too fast. He's better off too cold to move!