maggots for food for baby garters

[Eight]

Right I'm still looking into getting my first garter snake and I was wondering about feeding younger smaller snakes. I know they eat worms, but is it ok for them to eat maggots? Only that I feed my smaller Tarantula slings on them and I know they are readily available.

Has anyone tried this before that could advise me?

[gregmonsta]

I wouldn't go there at all.

• These maggots would be swallowed whole and as such would still be alive when entering the stomach.
• These maggots (that will also cope well with stomach acids) then might decide to borrow/eat their way out of their perdiccament.

Best not to try this just in case.

[Eight]

Brilliant. This is why I asked. Small bits me fish it is then.

[gregmonsta]

You might end up having to start them with something live if they don't catch on. Fish-wise guppies are a safe option. A less expensive route would be to get some lobworms to start them off - Fishing Worms and Bait - Lobworms | Worms Direct
These will wriggle about in a bowl of fish strips and will entice most to eat. You can then gradually reduce the amount of worm until they are on fish as the staple

[Eight]

You might end up having to start them with something live if they don't catch on. Fish-wise guppies are a safe option. A less expensive route would be to get some lobworms to start them off - Fishing Worms and Bait - Lobworms | Worms Direct
These will wriggle about in a bowl of fish strips and will entice most to eat. You can then gradually reduce the amount of worm until they are on fish as the staple

thanks for the advice. Any idea how long until I can start adding pinkies to their diet? Well, how long until they are big enough?

[gregmonsta]

That depends on how good you are at chopping them up , I've managed to get pinkies in as part of a mixed diet very early by cutting them into strips lengthways. You can cut one pinky into about three strips to begin with and then move to offering halves. I would aim to offer about 60-70% fish and 30-40% rodent eventually (but those are just my preferences).

[ssssnakeluvr]

on top of that....maggots are insect larva....garters do not eat insects

[Didymus20X6]

Sliced nightcrawlers are a good option, I'd think. Get some small nightcrawlers and a pair of scissors or a knife and chop them up into bite-sized chunks. Watch the little boogers gobble them up!

[Eight]

on top of that....maggots are insect larva....garters do not eat insects

As far as I've read garters do eat insects, but shouldn't as they can't digest the chitin exoskeleton
. I thought that as fly larvae don't have chitin that I'm aware of that it might possibly be ok. Obviously for the reasons stated above I won't be using them though lol.

Sliced nightcrawlers are a good option, I'd think. Get some small nightcrawlers and a pair of scissors or a knife and chop them up into bite-sized chunks. Watch the little boogers gobble them up!

what are nightcrawlers? I've seen the name pop up again and again. Are they available outside the usa?

[gregmonsta]

what are nightcrawlers?

Lobworms