Seasonal variation in diet?

[Stefan-A]

Has anybody else here noticed some sort of seasonal variation in what type of food your garters prefer? I've only had garters for a relatively short while, but I'm fairly certain I already see some sort of pattern.

I feed mine mice, fish and worms. Worms are available for just a part of the year, so I can't say much about them. But it seems to me that my snakes almost refuse (they are generally reluctant) to eat mice for about four months of the year, October-January, clearly preferring fish. The rest of the year they seem to take mice as readily as fish, maybe even preferring to eat mice.

As I understand it, they do have seasonal dietary variation in the wild. But in captivity..?

[ClosedCasket88]

if you know a retailer that sells nightcrawlers through the winter let me know, thatd b killer

[abcat1993]

if you know a retailer that sells nightcrawlers through the winter let me know, thatd b killer

our hardware store sells them.

[ClosedCasket88]

and what state would that b?

[GarterGuy]

Haven't really noticed this with my pair of T.s.concinnus. They seem to always take the prey the same no matter what the season is.

[abcat1993]

and what state would that b?

Illinois, north of chicago

[KITKAT]

Illinois, north of chicago

You must be wading... right?

[suzoo]

if you know a retailer that sells nightcrawlers through the winter let me know, thatd b killer

I have not noticed a patern in my snakes eating, as they are easy feeders and take whatever I offer.
I also buy nightcrawlers from Walmart. Here in my tiny hic town in Missouri they sell them year round in the Sporting Goods section.

[Thamnophis]

I have not noticed this with my animals.
Maybe this is because I feed my gartersnakes always with two or three different food-items. Every feeding they get a pinkie, some smelt and some pieces of chickenheart. And so every now and then they get worms and/or other fishpieces.

But I will watch them better to see if some specimen have changing preferences during the season.

[Stefan-A]

I try to give ft mice as a first option and if they refuse, I offer them fish. And this time of year, a lot of mice go to waste but almost no fish. Scenting doesn't help either.