Hello All,

Just decided to satisfy my OCD for a bit and list all the prey items my snakes have been eating over the years. Hopefully this list may offer an alternative or two for any problem feeders you may have.

SNAKES

Pantherophis g. gutattus (CB) - mice, small rats, baby chicken*

Lampropeltis g. californicus (CB) - mice and small rats; (WC) - mice and kinked neonate corns

Pituophis c. annectans (WC) - mice and small rats

Thamnophis a. hydrophilus (WC) - trout filet, chorus frogs, small Northern Red-legs and Foothill Yellow-legs, tadpoles, large guppies, goldfish (rarely, due to thiaminase)

T. e. terrestris (WC) - chorus frogs, pinkies, trout filet

T. e. elegans (WC) - chorus frogs, tadpoles, baby W. Fence Lizard, trout filet

T. ordinoides (WC) - earthworms, tadpoles, chorus frogs, baby No. Red-legs

T. s. infernalis (WC) - chorus frogs, trout filet

Hypsiglena torquata klauberi (WC) - Skilton Skink, baby W. Fence Lizard, kinked neonate corn, neonate garter, baby No. Alligator Lizard

Diadophis punctatus occidentalis (WC) - CA Slender Salamander

Contia tenuis (WC) - CA Slender Salamander

Eryx colubrinus loveridgei (CB) - mice

SALAMANDERS

Ambystoma gracile (WC/CB) - larvae - daphnia, mosquito larvae, tubifex worms; adult - earthworms, waxworms, crickets

FROGS

Pseudachris regilla (WC/CB) - flies, fruit flies, crickets, small earthworms, waxworms, small moths

Rana aurora (WC/CB) - flies, crickets, earthworms, waxworms, moths, small grashoppers

*The one time I fed a baby chick to a snake was rather hilarious, but I won't do it again. I had a stubborn Pacific Gopher Snake at the time, so I opted to try a bird; he wasn't interested. So, I tried to "pawn" it off on my gluttonous amel corn, and she took it. Prior to the take, however, she was flicking her tongue, and the chick actually thought it was a worm and nipped it. I couldn't stop laughing.

Steve