No luck .

[EasternGirl]

As far as picking her up and putting her in front of the food goes...I have to do that with my snakes sometimes even when they are very hungry...they just can't seem to find the food on their own. They don't actually know it's there until I put them in front of it...they are skiddish, so they see me put something in their tank but they are afraid to approach it not knowing it is food until I put them in front of it, then they eat. It is probably the same thing with Jade. So I wouldn't worry about that. Steve is right about the substrate, I tried putting paper towels over top of Hermes bedding and he just dragged the food under the paper towels...so it's good that you took the aspen out. She may have been very hungry the first time when she ate in front of you because she had not eaten in so long...now she is being a bit shy...no worries. Leave her alone for a bit. Maybe cover part of her tank with a towel...that is what I do for Seeley since he is so skiddish. She may eat if she thinks you can't see her.

[kibakiba]

With Runt, I have to hold her, endure her musking and push the food in her face. She's partially blind. It's annoying, because her musk is a very rotten smell... But, she can't eat otherwise. There have been times where she smells food and gets all excited when she sees my shadow? and lunges up toward me. I'm pretty sure she can see light changes, that seems to make her stop bumping into things and come toward whatever is making the shadow.

[GarterGuy17]

Well I think I have been bitten by jade but still never musked im pretty sure. I feel left out ~

[kibakiba]

Your time will come...

[angrygamer]

GG, I've been trying to follow your situation a bit but I'm not exactly sure what you are feeding her...

Are you feeding her exactly what was fed to her before she moved?

Has she been fed pinkies and that particular kind of fish before?

I'll tell you why: in December I started feeding Glyph pinkies and night crawlers at the same time, it took him a bit to warm up to both. The first time he didn't eat a pinky for two hours, I had to leave it in his viv, and the first three times he wouldn't eat worms.

Now he eats both straight from my hand or tongs with no problem. I don't know very much about his history, the vet says he's about three years old; I got him from a pet store four months ago, and I didn't ask them very much about him when I bought him (I should have) - the point being I don't know very much, but the pet store thought I should be feeding him goldfish, so I imagine that may have been his whole diet.

So give it time, like everyone is saying!

[GarterGuy17]

GG, I've been trying to follow your situation a bit but I'm not exactly sure what you are feeding her...

Are you feeding her exactly what was fed to her before she moved?

Has she been fed pinkies and that particular kind of fish before?

I'll tell you why: in December I started feeding Glyph pinkies and night crawlers at the same time, it took him a bit to warm up to both. The first time he didn't eat a pinky for two hours, I had to leave it in his viv, and the first three times he wouldn't eat worms.

Now he eats both straight from my hand or tongs with no problem. I don't know very much about his history, the vet says he's about three years old; I got him from a pet store four months ago, and I didn't ask them very much about him when I bought him (I should have) - the point being I don't know very much, but the pet store thought I should be feeding him goldfish, so I imagine that may have been his whole diet.

So give it time, like everyone is saying!

She has never ate fish before , pinkies were her only diet. I'm trying to introduce her to fish. I just have to wait I guess.

[angrygamer]

She has never ate fish before , pinkies were her only diet. I'm trying to introduce her to fish. I just have to wait I guess.

Yeah keep trying, from all I have heard (and experienced) it takes a bit of time for garters to get used to eating something else.

[EasternGirl]

Some snakes don't musk very often though. Cee Cee has only done it once and I don't think Seeley has ever musked me. Seeley has never bitten me, and Cee Cee has only nipped me a copuple of times because she was being a pig and thought my fingers were food. When Cee Cee is trying to be tough, she only false strikes. Seeley has done a couple of false strikes too. Hermes musks me a lot..but he has never even attempted a strike.

[GarterGuy17]

Well then I really didnt get bitten either I just felt like she was tackling my hand lol it was so funny.

[EasternGirl]

Garters do a thing called false striking, which is probably what she was doing. Most garters will only bite as a last resort. Their natural instinct is to flee or hide when threatened or attacked...or to musk...or even play dead. If that doesn't work they will strike, but they usually do a false strike...which involves striking and just bumping you (or the predator) with their nose, without actually even opening their mouths to bite. It's a scare tactic. They usually only bite as a last resort...although some are quite nippy. You would know if she bit you. Although they are not venomous and do not have fangs, they do have teeth and it can hurt and can draw blood. Some members' garters bite a lot. And, some of the more aggressive species of garters bite a lot. I have never really been bitten...Cee Cee has nipped my fingers thinking they were food, but she didn't even draw blood...well, I think she may have gotten me and drawn blood on the side of my thumb once.