What to feed my snake ?

[Snakeysnake]

Ok so i just got a garter snake and everything is great so far and it seems happy in its enclosure and i have provided everything it needs ..

BUT , i dont really want to feed it baby mice (dead or alive) and i am looking for another option ..
i keep turtles and i have a lot of dried reptile food such as crickets , silkworm , mealworm , dried fish , river shrimp and earth worm

if you put the dried fish or earth worm in water they go back to pretty much the same as a dead fish or worm would usually be ..
so i was wondering if that would be a good option to take ?

i have a good supply to other types of reptile food ..

any replys or idea's would be good , thanks :)

[Stefan-A]

Frozen/thawed mice, non-dried fish and non-dried earthworms.

Rehydrating dried fish is futile, unless you're making lutfisk.

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum.
Here's a link to the care sheet which will answer many of your question.
Can you tell us which part of the country you are from?
This way we might be able to tell you which garter snake species you have.
Is this a store bought snake or a wild caught?
Real, safe fish and alive night crawlers/worms are the way to go if you don't want to feed frozen/thawed mice. The care sheet will also give you some ideas.
Looking forward to seeing a photo of your snake.
Why did you get a garter snake? Great idea but want lead you to this decision?
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)

[gregmonsta]

Greetings :D.
What they said ^^ fresh or frozen thawed fish and earthworms are your best options and you will have to supplement this with vitamins/calcium every so often.

[infernalis]

I know the mice thing sounds difficult. But if you did it often enough, you would get used to it.

You can't think of "Wilbur" while eating ham or "Bessie" when you chow down on a big mac so try not to think of Micky mouse when feeding your snake. ;)

[kibakiba]

When I first learned that pinkies were a healthy part of Snakey's diet, I really had a hard time with it. I didn't like seeing a dead baby mouse, picking it up with the tweezers and dangling it in front of Snakey. I quickly learned that it's just a part of life, Snakey needed them to survive healthily. It got easier as I kept feeding them to him. It's really not that bad if you buy them pre-frozen because you just need to warm them up and they're already dead.

[Snakeysnake]

Welcome to the forum.
Here's a link to the care sheet which will answer many of your question.
Can you tell us which part of the country you are from?
This way we might be able to tell you which garter snake species you have.
Is this a store bought snake or a wild caught?
Real, safe fish and alive night crawlers/worms are the way to go if you don't want to feed frozen/thawed mice. The care sheet will also give you some ideas.
Looking forward to seeing a photo of your snake.
Why did you get a garter snake? Great idea but want lead you to this decision?
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Garter_Snake_Care_Sheet)

I actually live in the UK and garter snakes are not wild here , i bought it from a store and i have no idea if its wild or captive bred (i hope its CB)..

I decided to get the garter snake because it was a small snake and i didnt really want to go for a cornsnake or other of the "small" breeds/species ,
and they are really nice snakes in general :)

I know how to care for snakes and everything and have worked with cornsnakes before , I do a full time college course on animal care / welfare
and reptiles have always been my fav type of animals ..

i was just looking for advise on feeding , its not that i wouldnt feed a dead mouse to a snake BUT i dont think its right to feed a dead baby mouse that has never had the chance too even walk ...

[infernalis]

its not that i wouldnt feed a dead mouse to a snake BUT i dont think its right to feed a dead baby mouse that has never had the chance too even walk ...


Not to sound cold or inhuman, but that young, they don't even know to miss "walking" or much of anything else.

[ConcinusMan]

And if you're getting them from a commercial source, they are flash frozen. In other words, it happens instantly. They don't feel a thing, or suffer at all.

It's not absolutely necessary to feed them mice. I had a pair of Oregon red spotted garters that lived about 20 years and they never ate a single mouse their entire lives. I wouldn't feed them food that has been dried though. Frozen/thawed fish and earthworms will do just fine but they need the whole fish. Guts, skin, bones, everything. Most pet stores with an extensive aquarium section sell frozen silversides. They are often small enough that you can feed them whole, or you you can cut them into sections. They are a very safe fish to feed to your snakes. Thaw them thoroughly first of course.

[Snakeysnake]

And if you're getting them from a commercial source, they are flash frozen. In other words, it happens instantly. They don't feel a thing, or suffer at all.

It's not absolutely necessary to feed them mice. I had a pair of Oregon red spotted garters that lived about 20 years and they never ate a single mouse their entire lives. I wouldn't feed them food that has been dried though. Frozen/thawed fish and earthworms will do just fine but they need the whole fish. Guts, skin, bones, everything. Most pet stores with an extensive aquarium section sell frozen silversides. They are often small enough that you can feed them whole, or you you can cut them into sections. They are a very safe fish to feed to your snakes. Thaw them thoroughly first of course.

Ok , thanks for that answer ..
i will have a look around for frozen fish , i have never looked before but there are a few good petshops where i live ..

thanks for the answer :)

[ConcinusMan]

This might help with ID, but it's possible that you actually have a ribbon snake. Still thamnophis, but a little different. They are often labeled as "garter snake" in pet stores.

Photos may help with ID. If you can't post one right now, look through the photos here and see if any match:

Photographic Library - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Photographic_Library)

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Snakeysnake :)

[flickerfriend]

Congrats on the new snake! Whats its name? Does it have A name? Is it a boy/girl?
Many questions! many anwsers!