Question about feeding

[EasternGirl]

What kind of substrate do you have him in? Make sure he doesn't ingest any if the worms do get out into the bedding. Hopefully he ate the chunk.

[chris-uk]

It sounds like he'll be persuaded to eat the crawlers eventually, hopefully he's eaten overnight.

Pulling back to an earlier thing you said, that the people you got him from aren't doing well with the babies. If they think that the babies are eating crickets that may explain why they are doing badly, garters don't eat crickets because the exoskeleton can't be digested. If you can point those owners at the forum we could help them as well.

[EasternGirl]

I was thinking the same thing, Chris. That maybe you could get them a caresheet or get them onto the forum. If they are still trying to feed their snakes crickets and haven't offered them anything else, the poor snakes. Anyway, I hope your snake ate last night. I forgot to ask if your snakey has a name?

[tress29]

You will get used to cutting up the nightcrawlers...it just takes a little time . Try scissors...easier than using a knife.

Um, NOT! I press down on the worm with the knife, then wiggle it back and forth to cut it. I tried the scissors and didn't like holding onto the squirming worm! I "eeew"ed my way through cutting pinkies the first time, but they're so much cleaner and easier than the worms.

Right now, I'm feeding them every other day, alternating worms with pinkies. They wouldn't eat the tilapia by itself, but ate the pieces I added to the pinkies.

[EasternGirl]

I don't know...stuff like that just doesn't bother me...of course, you should see the stuff I have to dissect in nursing school so...worms and pinkies aren't really anything compared to dead cats and cows and sheep and bull testicles. I had to cut the trachea out of a cat once...have to cut eyeballs out of animals....pretty much remove any organ my instructor asks us to. So worms don't really phase me.

[tress29]

worms and pinkies aren't really anything compared to dead cats and cows and sheep and bull testicles.

Dead things, and frozen pinky mice don't wiggle!

[EasternGirl]

Ha ha..so it's the wiggling huh? I don't know...I think it would be worse to try to cut with a knife though...I just lay the worm down on a paper towel and then take the scissors and snip! I guess I have a system...lol.

[acovert]

I hate cutting the worms, personally. But when my mom and I used to fish, I had to bait the hooks with any worms we use - she won't touch them. But the wiggling and any juices that come out when I cut them does bother me.

As for the people I got my snake from...I had them try fish at some point. Since I'm not there I have no idea what fish they tried, but apparently the babies really liked them. Still, after they started on the fish, one died. The other 5 aren't doing so well. I don't think she'll have much time to join the site (she has a very busy schedule) but I can probably direct her to some care sheets via Facebook. She's my mom's friend, so I don't know her quite so well and don't talk to her too often. But her husband helps with my computer problems and I have to go over there as soon as I get home to fix my computer. I'll see what's going on with the babies then.

As for my snake (his/her name is Cuddles), he didn't touch the earthworms after all. I am going to remove the dead pieces and put in some new ones to keep trying. I still have 17 or 18 of them left, and I can easily go buy more at Walmart.

I must say, it was really interesting last night when I ran a tutoring session (I'm a writing tutor at this school) and the girl who came to my room saw me cutting up nightcrawlers.

[tress29]

But the wiggling and any juices that come out when I cut them does bother me.

I use the lid from a chip dip tub, cut the worm right on the lid, add a little water, and feed from the lid.

** I specifically use chip dip lids because they are white! They are not to be confused with my butter tub lids which are yellow and are used for packaging leftovers!

[EasternGirl]

Cuddles...right...you did say that. Okay...yeah...you just have to keep trying...sorry you didn't have any luck with the worms. That must have been interesting when you were cutting up the worms in front of the girl. I have had visitors here before when I was cutting worms or feeding my snakes and they thought I was nuts. As far as the people you got the snake from, why don't you email them the caresheet from our forum or take them a copy when you go home? Just an idea. Keep us posted about Cuddles!