wild garter snake that got into some trouble wont eat?

[gordesky1]

So on Friday night we found a snake on the front of our street.. At first we thought it was dead cause it had deep cuts which pretty much with turn outer skin.. And he was bleeding. But when we touch him he was moving. Pretty sure a cat got him...

So we put him in a 5gal fish tank with plastic trees and a water bowl and he was very active and looking around and in about a hour he was in the plastic tree.

So in about 2 days after we tried giving him chop up night crawers which was still moving and he looked at them but didn't touch them and the next day they was all dead...

last night we gave him a small worm live one and let it craw around he went too it like he was going after it but just slittered away so we left it in there and the worm was dead again...


Now we didint go out too get a heat light yet but we are cause it says they need them and they wont eat if they dont have one or the right heat? just a normal light bulb and Right now hes in a room that's in the 80s.

Now he does drink water cause i saw him doing that today.

Hes about 10+ but hes pretty thin size so im not sure if hes a baby or a adult? also his wounds did get better they quit bleeding and look better but still missing the skin. and i was told by other forums it might be best too let him go.. Ony thing i don't think he will make it on his own cause there is alot of cats and well pretty sure he can get infection from dirt etc too his wounds...

If he had minor wounds i would just leave him free but yea i dont feel right letting him out in the wild.. But i also don't want him too die from not eating..

Now did see someone on this forum pretty sure the one under my post putting it in a smaller case with grass and worms and let him be. I wonder if he will eat than?


Here's some pics when we brought him in yea the cuts look pretty bad... But from the looks of it didn't go threw that's under the skin. I get more pics as he looks today which he has a larger bow and more trees that he can go onto.


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[guidofatherof5]

This is a Storeria dekayi- Brown snake. This snake has serious injuries and needs a Vet ASAP. Thanks for trying to help.

[gordesky1]

Yea thats what im afraid too hearing The issue is we had too go bankruptcy for the house like 2 months back So money is a big issue right now And i really don't want too release him outside cause really i don't think he will make it with those cuts.. But if he wont eat for me he wont make it inside either

I see they eat slugs earth worms etc. Whats his chance of surviving if i get him too eat a slug and also make the tank look much better? Like i said his wounds looks much better than what they were Friday in those pics and he started too drink water. And pretty much keep the tank clean too try and keep infections off?

I could've just left him be when i saw him but yea when i saw him hurt i didn't have the heart just too leave him.. When i see non hurt ones i just let them be..

And i live in Pittsburgh so the weather is pretty much changing too..

[guidofatherof5]

The injuries are life-threatening, even with a Vet's intervention it might not survive. I would suggest euthanizing the poor thing or release it back into the wild and let mother nature decide. Tough situation you are in. Brown's are sweet snakes. Looks like a lawn mower injury.

[gordesky1]

Also have another update i just checked on him again and looked at his cuts. And they are really healing up. Its getting brown color which looks like his outer skin like his scales which has ridges coming threw?

Like were you see the pink in the cuts at in the pics i posted they are no longer pink color and has ridges now.

im at petco now picking up a heat light and also pick a pack of there worms. The lady said put one in a lid with little water in it so the worm doeisnt dry out and leave him alone which he might eat than and with the right heat from the bulb.

So im going too see what he does tonight. Hes still very active. So i guess i go from there too see what he does. If not i might have too leave him out... or see if i can find a rehab center that will take him.


If he eats i think he might be ok. Skin wont be never the same but really as long as he makes it that's what matters.

And yea about the lawn mower tho my dad said he saw a cat digging by the house 5mins before he saw the snake on the ground..

And yet this really hurts me seems like a nice snake too cause he comes up the glass and looks at us..


I see if i can get new pics of how the cuts look now when i get home and get the phone charge back up. They do look alot better tho like hes growing new skin in there.

[guidofatherof5]

This is the area that concerns me the most, appears to involve organs.

[gordesky1]

yea thats what i was worrying about too when i first saw it but seems like it was from the outer skin cause nothing is sticking up there anymore. really that part is the most healed and closing up.

But we got the heat light installed and have it hanging above the tank cause i really don't trust it sitting on the screen and that close... And he came out from were he was and sitting under it right now. We tried a worm again and he was very interested in it and went right too the bowl fast and stayed there looking around at it. I think why he didn't snap at it he knew we was looking at him... sense i herd some snakes don't like you in the same room when they eat..


When the tank gets settled with the heat going too put it back in and leave him alone and i will update you guys later. Hopefully with good news...


Also the bulbs i bought cause the lady said they will be fine for him are a daylight bulb which is blueish color pretty bright and the night time one is red color and very dim they both heatlights . On the box it says the blueish one is for when they eat is that the one i should have on right now? They both 40watts and that's the lowest they had in petsmart.


Also made 2 tunnels for him to go in.

thank you.

[guidofatherof5]

Small earthworms, slugs, and pieces of night crawler are on the menu for this one. Please keep us posted on this little brown.

[gordesky1]

So i got some updates. Hes still going very active also. I tried some meal worms which he wouldn't touch, Than i dig up some slugs and put them in there wouldn't touch those either like he was scared of them than sometimes he will zoom right up too them with his tong out tongue flicking out.

Tho 2 days ago i just put the box of 5 slugs in his tank which he would go in there hunting around in there each time i put it in there. 2 days ago i found out there was ony 3 left out of 5 and i know they didn't get out cause i always keep a close watch when they in there cause they can dry up and die. Or if they do get out of the box they in they will go on the water bowl and stay there.

Each day i leave a small dish with the meal worms in there which he always go in there and also drinks the water i put in there too keep them moist. But i noticed today one was gone i had 6 in there and 5 was ony there. They never climb out of the tank cause it seems like they cant they usely go under stuff like the paper towel but i checked under there and nope. So i think he might've eat one.

Another thing i noticed there was new poop right next too the small dish today. So that could be a good sign right there.

loves drinking water that's for sure.

Are these snakes big eaters like other snakes? Or do they nick pick here and here?


I was going too let him go a week ago but the weather really changed low 60s in the day and can go as low as 30s with frost... So i think hes better inside either way now..


Also hes still healing really well. that pic i showed that open cut is now pretty closed now.

[guidofatherof5]

Have you tried earthworms or night crawler pieces? Take a small lid of some kind(icing lid) kill a few slugs(stopping them from crawling away) put the dish in there and cover the tank. Check the next day to see the results. You can cut up earthworms also in the lid.