Substrate

[ConcinusMan]

thiamanase shmiamanase. Mayonnaise for that matter. Raised garters for years before anyone heard of such a thing. With a varied diet, I saw no sign of disease. In fact, the pair lived exceptionally long lives.

Still, Lauwersp, you should try to get them feeding on frozen/thawed silversides. Most snakes that will eat live fish can be easily converted over to thawed fish. Might also want to try slipping in some pinkies in their fish.

I know some garters aren't very enthusiastic about feeding on dead food. Get a ceramic or non-porous dish and put some fish in it and give them a few hours and some privacy in their enclosure if you're using a safe substrate. Sometimes, the fish disappear when you're not looking. A few hours after "sunup" when the snakes do their basking, get up to temperature, and then.. that's the perfect time to feed or try new foods. Holding back food for a week can also help.

As far as the paper goes, newspaper is relatively safe, including the ink as far as I know. Don't use the glossy ad type paper. You can shred regular newspaper by hand very easily. If swallowed, it doesn't present a problem. It's easily digested.

[guidofatherof5]

thiamanase shmiamanase. Mayonnaise for that matter. Raised garters for years before anyone heard of such a thing. With a varied diet, I saw no sign of disease. In fact, the pair lived exceptionally long lives.

Still, Lauwersp, you should try to get them feeding on frozen/thawed silversides. Most snakes that will eat live fish can be easily converted over to thawed fish. Might also want to try slipping in some pinkies in their fish.

Unless you've seen a snake die from this I'm not sure you will ever take it seriously. Granted, you do tout the benefits of a balanced diet but your first statements trivialize a serious problem that causes the death of many snakes. It is a terrible death and if waving a red flag about minnow/goldfish will help one garter snake from that fate then call me a flag waver.

I'm glad that your snakes lived as long as they did but stop wearing it like a badge. We have all made mistakes and when information comes out about a better way to raise and care for garter snakes we should be on the front lines getting the word out. I too have kept garters for years and for years I too fed minnows. I was not as lucky as you were and I have see what a B1 deficiency can do to a snake. I remember all to well.