HELP this is urgent...can minnows kill my new garter

[ConcinusMan]

oka heres the pic

Tough call because it's blurry, but it just might be female after all.

I must say I'm glad you're asking so many questions and that you have all the fine people here who know what they're talking about to answer them.

[Dameco13]

yea im trying to figure out what yo feed him/her my mom wont go for pinkies minnows will kill it earthworms will make him poop all day and silversides are too hard for me to come by.i tried mealworms he refuses i think im just gonna have to go with the nightcrawler worms

[guidofatherof5]

Garters don't eat bugs. They can't digest the exoskeleton.
Here's a link to the care sheet. It's full of great updated(thanks Shannon) material.

http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets...ake_Care_Sheet

[ConcinusMan]

Well it sounds like you're in a bit of a pickle. If your snake likes fish, it would likely eat any fish. I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind if you bought a trout fillet and put it in the freezer.(mark it "for the snake" so nobody eats it) Just feed her bits of that with a calcium supplement sprinkled on lightly, every other feeding and your snake should be OK.

[Dameco13]

What about canned pink salmon?

[ConcinusMan]

What about canned pink salmon?

Salmon is OK but It's rich and fatty. I wouldn't feed it every feeding, only as a treat now and then. Also, the canned stuff is cooked and salt is added. Use fresh. Fresh raw fish only.

[Dameco13]

okay thanks ill just go with nightcrawlers and if i can find them, silversides

[ConcinusMan]

Even if you can't, just about any store carries fillet of trout. That would be a good choice. Might want to see what fish are available at your grocery store and get back to us to see if it's a safe fish. Either way, if you're only feeding pieces of fish meat and/or nightcrawlers don't forget the calcium powder with vitamin D. A growing young snake needs that for healthy bones and scales.

[Dameco13]

hold up wait a minute(lol) nobody ever said anything to me about calcium?

[gregmonsta]

hold up wait a minute(lol) nobody ever said anything to me about calcium?

Calcium is essential if you are feeding worms and fish fillet as you are not providing the calcium you would be presenting in the bones feeding whole fish for example (worms don't have bones .... so no calcium).