How to: Scenting Worms???

[J@50n]

How do I scent a worm with toad. If I drop a toad into my garters tank NOM NOM NOM It's gone in a few short seconds. I know this is not good for him but he will not take worms for anything!! How do you scent a worm with toad?

[RedSidedSPR]

It's kinda hard to scent a worm. Have you tried already? If so, I'd chop it and the worms and put them together...

Does he eat anything else? Have you tried fish? The fish would be very easy to scent.

[snakehill]

Chop up the toad?:eek:

[J@50n]

It's kinda hard to scent a worm. Have you tried already? If so, I'd chop it and the worms and put them together...

Does he eat anything else? Have you tried fish? The fish would be very easy to scent.

I have not tried fish... Where could I get fish? Bait shops have minnows, do they work? My pet shop only has tropical fish that are $2+ Which would br pretty pricey food :/

[J@50n]

Chop up the toad?:eek:

I don't think I could do that, they're too cute haha, even though i feed them to my snake... I don't see their guts or blood or whatever -.-

[RedSidedSPR]

Per stores often carry feeder guppies. Those are safe. Minnows (rosy reds) carry thiamnaise and often parasites. So that's a no. Frozen fish like Silversides (pet stores carry them) or a safe source of fish fillet, Salmon, Trout, or Talapia.


Chop up the toad?:eek:

Yes.

[snakehill]

Hopefully not a live one!:rolleyes:

[RedSidedSPR]

I said to freeze it. For weeks. Although, if you already have fed a few, I guess you could just freeze it to kill it, and than chop it and use it... Just once more. To get him eating. Only use as much toad what you need.

[ssssnakeluvr]

probably not gonna get a worm scented.... with their slimy skin... will make whatever you put with it smell like worms

[snakehill]

I said to freeze it. For weeks. Although, if you already have fed a few, I guess you could just freeze it to kill it, and than chop it and use it... Just once more. To get him eating. Only use as much toad what you need.
Freeze it to kill it! What a way to go!!:eek:

[J@50n]

Per stores often carry feeder guppies. Those are safe. Minnows (rosy reds) carry thiamnaise and often parasites. So that's a no. Frozen fish like Silversides (pet stores carry them) or a safe source of fish fillet, Salmon, Trout, or Talapia.


I do have Frozen Salmon fillets... How would you go after preparing something like this for a snake?

[RedSidedSPR]

I have never used fillet. So I don't really know. First you need to make sure it's safe... Unsalted, all that... Just cut it up. Inreally don't know. Don't go by me.

[RedSidedSPR]

For now, I would go to PetsMart, or PetCo, and go to the fish stuff. The little freezer will have big flat bag of frozen Sallys SilverSides. They work great, I feed them whole to my adult and chop them for my babies! It's not better than fillet, but it's all I can recommend.

[kibakiba]

They die fast in the freezer, snakehill. I freeze frogs too. It's a treat for my snakes, and they die within 5 minutes.

[snakehill]

I know but I love frogs and toads!:( By the way Chantel. I noticed that you have 12 snakes but only 8 names are listed.:confused:

[RedSidedSPR]

She needs to get on top of that. :D

And, look, your in the garter snake business you have to feed them what they eat.

[snakehill]

I know! It's just that I've never had snakes that were frog eaters!:o

[RedSidedSPR]

No different than mice.

I like frogs too. I'd love to keep some. But if it's for my snakes...

I've never used frogs, i'm just saying i would. I can't find any even if i did want to. Too dry here

[snakehill]

I like mice too!:D

[RedSidedSPR]

But you don't have a problem feeding them.

[snakehill]

If they are frozen no! If they are live yes!:p

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, they weren't born frozen. We're talking about frozen toads anyway!!

[snakehill]

But I don't kill them myself!:eek:

[kibakiba]

Snakehill, 2 of them I know for sure that I'm not keeping. I just have to wait for the proper person to want them ;). They're special babies to me. They have special needs, and that calls for a special home. Haha.
I lost one of them, Squirt, and the other two I wasn't sure I was going to keep who are Silver and Azul. But, I'm keeping them of course. Silver needs a new name :D

[RedSidedSPR]

All your doing is putting the frog in a bag and popping him in the freezer! You're not really KiLLING him :rolleyes:

[jitami]

They die fast in the freezer, snakehill. I freeze frogs too. It's a treat for my snakes, and they die within 5 minutes.

Just a quick hint to speed up that process... first put a small amount of water in the freezer. Freeze it for a few minutes until ice forms on top of the water. Break a hole in the ice, drop frog in, and put it back in the freezer. Should reduce the time to seconds instead of minutes. I learned this trick for euthanizing fish, but the frog should react the same. Other than separating their spine from their heads (which I don't have the knowledge or fortitude to do) freezing is a relatively humane way to kill many small animals. I know the entire subject sucks, but sometimes it's necessary. We do owe it to the animals to be as humane as possible, tho.

[snakehill]

I would NEVER be able to do it!!!:o

[guidofatherof5]

Nicely put Tami.;)

[snakehill]

Hey Steve, I don't have to feed frogs to my snakes do I?:(

[kibakiba]

Probably not, I would assume they took worms and pinkies.

[RedSidedSPR]

No one said you did!!

[snakehill]

Well we haven't really discussed what they are currently eating!:p

[kibakiba]

Honestly, frogs aren't the healthiest choice. So, I doubt that's what they eat. I find frogs are a big treat for my snakes, they all go crazy for them, so I keep them as a treat.

[RedSidedSPR]

They love amphibians. I think I'll do it just for a treat.:D (meaning I would, you don't need to, never said you did.)

[snakehill]

But if they have never had them do they really know what they are missing?:rolleyes:

[RedSidedSPR]

I'm pretty sure my WC adult ate almost nothing but at one point. I found him near a big creek with TONS of frogs

Plus he's not eating so that might start him

[snakehill]

Where will you get the frogs?:confused:

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, a few months ago I could have walked to a creek :p but then the tornado trashed it, ad it dried out, so know there's a pond I can walk to, it's small so there's not a lot, but... I can always catch one or two

[J@50n]

My Garter liked hunting his toads down... Then I was informed how terrible they are live for him :( Poor, poor Char.

[RedSidedSPR]

You didn't do anything. Here's the thing. He was eating that stuff in the wild for quite some time. He already has some worms. Heck, your gonna deworm him later, he already has some, if you want to freeze for a day, chop em up, and use it to get him eating worms and fish, I'd do it.

Id freeze it, shut your eyes and chop 'em up! (just a few peices of toad) than put in chunks of worm, and fish, in a dish. Done. Yummy!!:D look, I know it's gross, but you said it yourself, you need to get him eating something else!

[J@50n]

You didn't do anything. Here's the thing. He was eating that stuff in the wild for quite some time. He already has some worms. Heck, your gonna deworm him later, he already has some, if you want to freeze for a day, chop em up, and use it to get him eating worms and fish, I'd do it.

Id freeze it, shut your eyes and chop 'em up! (just a few peices of toad) than put in chunks of worm, and fish, in a dish. Done. Yummy!!:D look, I know it's gross, but you said it yourself, you need to get him eating something else!

Very true, And I have 5 in the freezer currently :p

By the end of the week he WILL be eating worms :mad:

He seems to be a little picky to have been WC!

[J@50n]

Actually, should I just skip worms and go straight to Pinky pieces?

[RedSidedSPR]

No, I personally think a varied diet is best. I like, pinkies, worms as the the main diet, and some fish.

How big is your snake again?

[J@50n]

Only about a foot and a half long.

[RedSidedSPR]

He can handle whole pinkies. No need to chop. That is, if you're buying small enough pinkies. You have that option when ordering online.

Here's a good one. MiceDirect
https://micedirect.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21&zenid=33ceec3fda67bc59e323bba8c92054d7

[J@50n]

He can handle whole pinkies. No need to chop. That is, if you're buying small enough pinkies. You have that option when ordering online.

Here's a good one. MiceDirect
https://micedirect.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21&zenid=33ceec3fda67bc59e323bba8c92054d7

Which ones would be best for him do you think?

Here is a post (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/8929-first-wc-snake-handling-i-so-scared.html#post169825) I just made where I'm holding him to get a better idea how round he is and how big his head is...

[J@50n]

He also ate Toads the size of a nickle or quarter... So do you think these (https://micedirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21&products_id=28&zenid=33ceec3fda67bc59e323bba8c92054d7) would be best?

[RedSidedSPR]

I'm sure those would work!

You want to feed them stuff around the size of their head.. A little bigger is ok. I think either of the small pinkies, or really any pinky is probably ok.

Like I said, I'd still try to get him on worms, but pinkies are great and worms is never enough.

[J@50n]

I'm sure those would work!

You want to feed them stuff around the size of their head.. A little bigger is ok. I think either of the small pinkies, or really any pinky is probably ok.

Like I said, I'd still try to get him on worms, but pinkies are great and worms is never enough.

I wish he would eat the dang things :mad: (worms)

[guidofatherof5]

Sometimes it takes hunger to make a change.
Once in awhile I'll have to withhold food from a snake for a couple food cycles.
Once they are good and hungry they aren't so picky.:D

[J@50n]

Sometimes it takes hunger to make a change.
Once in awhile I'll have to withhold food from a snake for a couple food cycles.
Once they are good and hungry they aren't so picky.:D

I did that, he went two days without a meal... or are you talking more around a week?

[guidofatherof5]

Maybe two weeks in some cases.
Won't hurt them a bit.

[kibakiba]

Two days is nothing for a snake. When I want my snakes to eat something in particular that they don't like, I wait up to 3 weeks. I offer it every few days, but sometimes they hold out for a long time. A week and a half to two weeks should be fine.

[J@50n]

Is it bad to over-feed a snake?

[guidofatherof5]

Yes. They can become overweight.
Babies can also eat until they die. Doesn't happen very often.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yes. They can get fat just like us.

Another siuggestion, try hand/tong feeding, get it up in his grill and he may be more into it.

I'm serious. Find something he'll eat, chop it up with worms. He'll eat it.

[J@50n]

Yes. They can get fat just like us.

Another siuggestion, try hand/tong feeding, get it up in his grill and he may be more into it.

I'm serious. Find something he'll eat, chop it up with worms. He'll eat it.

I will do this! He is a fatty and already had one toad and a toad/worm mixture... nasty... Poor toady had worm mushed all over him :(

[RedSidedSPR]

Poor guy :D

I hand feed my snakes anyway. I only sometimes put it in a dish.

By worm/toad mix what did you mean? Did he eat the worms? Was the toad alive, or chopped?

[J@50n]

The toad was alive yes just smothered in worm guts :(

He won't eat from my hands either! I tried but he likes to hunt them down it appears... Probably because he doesn't feel 100% secure around humans yet... That would be my only guess...

[RedSidedSPR]

Get tongs (or pliers if you don't have them) and hold a worm, right in the middle of it's body, and offer it to him. The worm will be writhing around, and he won't see you, just the tongs and food! Something that helped mine, was to cut the worms (it was really big though) in half, he seemed to like it more if he smelled the blood and stuff.

[J@50n]

I've tried that, for a while before toads and everything. It seemed to fail on me numerous times, so I just have a night crawler cut up into 3 pieces in a food dish for him because I didn't want to put it back in the worm box... All he did was roll in the worm guts :mad:

[guidofatherof5]

If you would like a good pair of hemostats.
PM me if you are interested.
Makes feeding a lot easier.

[J@50n]

I have a pair of pliers that look almost exactly like that I think they were originally for fishing? Not 100% sure on that but the do look like those a lot.

[RedSidedSPR]

I use a small pair of pliers like that. I'd like some hemostats but I have nowhere to get them, and rarely use tongs anyway. Mostly use my hands or other ways of feeding. Really I only use the pliers for tiny peices.

[guidofatherof5]

I use a small pair of pliers like that. I'd like some hemostats but I have nowhere to get them, and rarely use tongs anyway. Mostly use my hands or other ways of feeding. Really I only use the pliers for tiny peices.

Pm me your name and address and I'll send them out. I have plenty.
Just make sure your parents are aware I will be sending them.
Unless your parents don't want you giving out that info.
I would understand completely.;)

[RedSidedSPR]

I'll hold out on that for now, but I'll def let you know. Thanks!