Other things to feed your snake?

[Steveo]

I try to stick to things that I know are good and are as safe as possible. Right now everyone gets f/t rodents (if they'll eat them) and f/t silversides, though I'm starting up a tank for feeder guppies this week because of the hassle of dealing with silversides. I'm getting the guppies from a reputable breeder to minimize the risk of parasites. I know it's not as cost-effective as silversides, but the reduced time and effort of cutting and thawing smelly silversides is more than worth it to me.

[Stefan-A]

Can O Snails has no fans here. Not a single snail was eaten.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Interesting, I was under the impression that a varied diet was a good thing!

If i'm not mistaken a varied diet is to make sure the animal doesn't miss any vital substances and not to feed the snake different things just for the sake of it.A diet of rodents,fish and/or worms pretty much covers every thing so there is not much need to feed other things.[IMO]

[guidofatherof5]

If i'm not mistaken a varied diet is to make sure the animal doesn't miss any vital substances and not to feed the snake different things just for the sake of it.A diet of rodents,fish and/or worms pretty much covers every thing so there is not much need to feed other things.[IMO]

Very well put William.
Each food item had pros and cons. Feeding a varied diet balances those pros and cons out.

[kimbosaur]

I doubt you could get a garter snake to eat canned snails.

I'm afraid I don't understand. Snakes are not like humans, variety on the supper plate is of little interest.

Several people here do very well with just a rodent diet.

As for "meat" whole prey items are far more nutritionally complete.

Reptiles utilize virtually everything from whole prey, when you start feeding hunks of meat or organs, many necessary nutrients including the calcium from skeletons is missing from the meal.

I remember that post well.

So did you mean to say, "I doubt you can get a full snake to eat canned snails"?

[kibakiba]

No, he didn't.
Some of Stefan's snakes go into 'lego' mode, which means they'll pretty much eat anything, including legos.

[kimbosaur]

I got that part...

Edit: Thought I should clarify. What I meant is that the two statements are contradictory so I was looking for clarification.

[Sonya610]

Interesting, I was under the impression that a varied diet was a good thing! If not for the snake's culinary interest so much as the potential nutritive value.

Primarily, I'm asking out of curiosity. Garters seem so versatile in what they can eat, I was wondering if any keepers feed something outside the "standard".

When I started out (a whole year and a half ago) I heard pinkies were best, some fish could be risky (something about babies being known to seizure occasionally when on heavy fish diets) plus with fish there is the risk of lead and chemicals depending on what type. Worms were fine but I really didn't want to chop up huge live worms, when mine are big enough to eat a whole walmart nightcrawler then they can have all the worms they like.

Call me paranoid but I remember the big "Chinese contaniminated corn gluten" dog food recall a few years ago, thousands of dogs/cats likely died of kidney failure before anyone realized what was happening, the only reason they identified the fatal ingredient is because some of the corporate "taste tester lab" dogs and cats started dying in large numbers and the dog/cat food industry is multi-million dollar. Incidents involving reptiles would be poorly publicized and less well tracked.

Mine are over a year now so I am getting brave with the Tilapia, but the way I see it "if it ain't broke don't fix it, and certainly don't start experimenting without documented backup".

[guidofatherof5]

Don't let them gorge on the fish and you should be fine.
I will suggest you get over your problem with the worms as worm as a very good food source. I know it's gross and all but your snakes deserve the benefits of worms in their diet.
Just my opinion.

[Sonya610]

I will suggest you get over your problem with the worms as worm as a very good food source. I know it's gross and all but your snakes deserve the benefits of worms in their diet.
Just my opinion.

For me it isn't the ick factor, I just feel so bad cutting up those desperate, squirming, live animals. I did it years ago when feeding a baby bird and it was just too much, ended up freezing them solid and cutting them up after. I am also suspicious of anything like that from Walmart, they aren't selling them as food so God only knows where they are getting them and what they are being fed.