Garter wont eat worms?

[RedSidedSPR]

My wild-caught Red Sided garter snake eats his two good-sized rosy reds every week without hesitation, but wont eat worms (earthworms or nightcrawlers). Ive had him/her for about a month and he is tamed almost completely but dosnt like being handled. How can I get him to eat worms or is there something better besides
pinkies?:confused:

[guidofatherof5]

Nice to have you on the forum.
Rosies as a main food source can cause problems. Here's a link to the care sheet: Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)
Rosy's contain thiaminase which will kill a garter snake.
Pinkies are a much safer food item. You can use the Rosy to scent the pinky.
You can also chop up a Rosie and mix it with a dish of worms. The fish scent will over power the worm scent. Then you can reduce the amount of fish used until you snake takes worms by themselves.
We would love to see a photo of your snake.
Once again, welcome to the forum.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I would feed him a lot more than 2 fish per week! At least twice a week. welcome!

[infernalis]

Shannon has a point, I was going to say the same thing.

Personally I feed my garter snakes about every third day.

The very best thing to do is get your snake to eat pinkies, If you get them frozen, all you have to do is thaw them out, so it's not rally like you are responsible for killing the mouse.

Welcome to the forum.

[mustang]

welcome (try scenting)

[zooplan]

Welcome to the forum,

you can offer different feed on one dish,
that´s like scenting, if there´s not enough of its prefered rosy reds
it may take the other, maybe at least by mistake.

[RedSidedSPR]

More fish? I dont think eat any more. I do put a third one one in there sometimes. Is there fish thats safer rosies? (this is my first snake)

[infernalis]

Feeder guppies or you can buy frozen fish and cut it up.

Commonly fed fish - Salmon, Trout and Tilapia fillets cut into pieces.

You came to the right place, there are a lot of helpful people here who will gladly give you all sorts of ideas for your first snake.

Be careful though, they are addicting little critters, snakes are like chips, can't have just one... ask Steve.:cool:

[RedSidedSPR]

Ive tried scenting (rubbing the fish all over the worm) twice before, he gets into it but acts like he got no idea what it is.

Here he is.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/chucknkelly/GarterSnake12.jpg



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/chucknkelly/GarterSnake19.jpg
He loves his tree.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/chucknkelly/GarterSnake29.jpg



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/chucknkelly/GarterSnake26.jpg
More fish? Realy?


http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/chucknkelly/GarterSnake32.jpg
Hes 18 inchs long.

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks for the answers. Where can i find the guppies? they are not at petsmart. Maybe PetCo?

[guidofatherof5]

Maybe try some smaller pet shops. Locally owner and operated.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, RedSidedSPR :)

[RedSidedSPR]

Oh, and what do you suggest as the best diet? (preferably no pinkies)

[RedSidedSPR]

the only local petstore i know of is petmania and they dont carry them.

[RedSidedSPR]

Here is his tank.



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/chucknkelly/GarterSnake21.jpg
The pic is of a 10 gal but it is now a 15 gal

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

He is adorable! Yes... Definitely more.. Garters have a very fast metabolism! If i fed my snakes 2 fish per week they would probably call child services on me and tell them I don't love them anymore. Haha! (I don't mean you are neglecting your snake, just that I think more food would be better) it doesn't have to be fish, but I would start feeding him twice per week if you only want to offer two fish per sitting. Snakes digest fish really fast and fish are mostly water, meaning if you feed fish you have to feed more of it, more often. If you feed rodents, you could maybe feed once a week if it were a big meal but better if it were like, one pinky every 4th day or so. garters eat more and poop more than other snakes. Trust me, I have A LOT of garters.... Actually a lot probably is not a very good description... ;) a garter his size could easily eat 5-10 rosies that size and still be looking for more!

[RedSidedSPR]

Alright, thanks. Twice a week.

[jamromhem]

yes, when my little checkered was still a little one like that she would eat 3-4 in a sitting and want more in 2 days... But is would be a good idea if you want to get him/her (maybe a closeup of the tail and we can make a guess, it didnt stand out to me in the pics) on talapia fillets or salmon fillets.. they contain alot less of that nasty T word that does horrible things to the slithering babys. and if (him/her) is on a fish diet they might take to the fillets more readily. Just cut a peice about as wide as it's head and about 2 inches long and dangle it about to try to get it to take it. But if you do that I would suggest some calcium powder to put on the end they dont take first to make sure they get enough calcium.

Very beautiful snake BTW. Love the colors.

[guidofatherof5]

Tilapia and Salmon are thiaminase free fish.
I guess your statement is true, they do have a lot less in them:D

[RedSidedSPR]

He (im sure it is a male) is not a baby and i dont think he'd eat more than two or three at
a time. i've tried it and he ate two and the third sat dead in his water bowl for the rest of the week. but I will try to feed him more often. FILLETS ARE BORING!! SO ARE PINKIES!! I like watching him hunt them and catch them(they are live fish) and dont you think that's better for him?

[guidofatherof5]

He (im sure it is a male) is not a baby and i dont think he'd eat more than two or three at
a time. i've tried it and he ate two and the third sat dead in his water bowl for the rest of the week. but I will try to feed him more often. FILLETS ARE BORING!! SO ARE PINKIES!! I like watching him hunt them and catch them(they are live fish) and dont you think that's better for him?

It's not about boring. It's about what's best for them;)

Feeding a boring safe meal is much better than feeding an unsafe exciting meal.

Please don't take my comments wrong. I to think it is exciting to watch garter snakes fishing.
Guppies and Mollies are safe and alive also.

[RedSidedSPR]

I know that. Im not saying that i choose what to feed him by how "exiting" it is or that im going to keep giving him minnows, im not, I just think its better (for him) to catch his prey live like he would in the wild. Plus Im not even sure I would be "alowed" to feed him pinkies. I couldnt keep a corn snake last year for that reason. (and im not taking your answers the wrong way, man.)

[guidofatherof5]

I know that. Im not saying that i choose what to feed him by how "exiting" it is or that im going to keep giving him minnows, im not, I just its better (for him) to catch his prey live like he would in the wild. Plus Im not even sure I would be "alowed" to feed him pinkies. I couldnt keep a corn snake last year for that reason. (and im not taking your answers the wrong way, man.)

Thanks. :)

[RedSidedSPR]

Can someone give me the best diet, preferably not pinkies? I'm willing to try pinkies if other diets are not possible. Also I would prefer to use fish (hopefully live) as part of the diet but again, am willing to try otherwise. Worms work for me to.

[RedSidedSPR]

Scenting still not working. Any other suggestions?

[guidofatherof5]

Hunger can be a great motivator.
Makes them appreciate what they get offered. Just an idea.:D

[RedSidedSPR]

I have tried going a little longer (about a week) without feeding before offering him a worm, but that didnt work.

[RedSidedSPR]

I cant find feeder guppies ANYWHERE!!! Petsmart and PetCo Dont have them, pet mania didnt last time I was there. Where do you get yours if you use them?

[guidofatherof5]

I cant find feeder guppies ANYWHERE!!! Petsmart and PetCo Dont have them, pet mania didnt last time I was there. Where do you get yours if you use them?

I have a locally owned Pet Shop a few blocks from my house. They order them in all the time.

[RedSidedSPR]

I doubt that will help considering I live in NC :D
I have looked for local pet stores where I live but cant find any.

[jamromhem]

another trick might be to familiarise yourself with the fish and then go look at the fish in bait shops.. sometimes they say something is a minnow and it is a different breed of fish all together.

[RedSidedSPR]

Ill try that.

[drache]

my parietalis aren't into worms either
many of the chain pet stores will carry SF Bay Brand Sally's Silver Sides - those are whole little fish, and very fishy smelling
my exciting challenge for you: acquire some dexterity with long-handled tweezers or tongs and make the fish come to life (or at least undead) for your snake
once you get them to take one kind of dead fish, they tend to be more open to others
hunting is not essential to their nature - that's human romantic projection - it just gives them exercise

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks. He's eating Rosy Red minnows right now(dead or alive) and I dont think fish will be problem, it's just the worms he wont eat. And aren't you supposed to feed them something else along with fish? (I cant use pinkies for multiple reasons). Glad to know that hunting isn't important. Ill try the the Silver Sides if I have trouble giving him other fish though, especially since Rosies carry Thiamanaise. Yours aren't into worms either? Is it just the species?

[Tyrel26]

Quote: " i've tried it and he ate two and the third sat dead in his water bowl for the rest of the week"

Really not a good idea to leave a dead fish in your snakes water bowl, not only is the fish getting an increasing amount of bacteria but the water is unsafe as well.

I had the same problem until i scented the worms by rubbing them into mashed up fish, now they eat them no problem. As for exciting, I feed all my snakes by hand, I hold a piece of fish or worm between my finger and thumb and the stretch up to take it from me. It a very nice feeling to know my snakes trust me that much.

Goodluck!

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks. I relized that before and Ive never left it dead in the water again. I realy don't care about exiting I just prefer to feed them live food but im cool with dead food. He eats out of my hand as well and I agree that its a nice feeling. Scenting still isn't working.

[Tyrel26]

It can take a while, try skipping a feeding for a day or so and then offer scented food, the hungrier he gets the more wiling he will be to eat something new/scented.

Also placing the snake in a small container (tupperware) with nothing but a couple worms can often have good results, make sure there are holes in the lid, the lid snaps on and place a couple droplets of water in to keep the worms from drying out. Don't be afraid to leave him in there for an hour or 2; just place him somewhere that has no disturbances or people watching. Once he gets a taste for worms he will start taking tem while you watch.


Goodluck!

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks, I didnt think of that.

[ConcinusMan]

I have concinnus that absolutely adore night crawlers. I have others that won't touch them no matter how hungry they get. I have some that will eat f/t silversides and pinkies, scented or not. I have others that won't touch worms or fish. Others will eat only certain fish such as trout or salmon. And, just a couple that flat refuse anything but mice (fuzzies and pinkies)

[guidofatherof5]

The concinnus' you sent me are eating everything I offer. They seem to favor pinky parts.

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks for the answers

[RedSidedSPR]

Still not eating them.

[guidofatherof5]

Just a thought.
Have you tried any slugs?

[RedSidedSPR]

I've been looking for slugs. Are they as good worms?

[guidofatherof5]

I've been looking for slugs. Are they as good worms?

I take it you nutritionally?
I'm not sure how to answer that. Worms are worms and slugs are slugs.
I think they are two different food items. I'm sure both have something good to offer the snakes.

[ConcinusMan]

Slugs have the advantage that you can give them a full gut load of nice greens rich in calcium and iron right before you feed them to the snakes.

[kibakiba]

You can gut load worms. Mine are eating fine powdered egg shells and bone meal for calcium, along with left over organic veggies. Seems like my snakes like themmore now that I have my worms on a strict diet ;) The worms are growing huge too. I had a baby a week ago it was less than an inch long and literally as thin as a piece of paper. I put it in its own container and checked on it today, 2 inches and pretty thick. I cant even feed it to Squirt now.

[RedSidedSPR]

Ok, when I find some I'll do that.

[ConcinusMan]

Well sure you can gutload worms too, it's just that they process things a bit differently. Worms only eat matter that is already pretty much decomposed or in the process of decomposition. Not that it's any better or worse.