Wrong worms?

[CrazyHedgehog]

AAAAgGGGGHHH
I thought as it was too cold to go digging worms, I got some cheap at the bait shop, I asked specifically for Lob worms, not red wigglers...
I even looked at them in the shop and they looked ok....
fed them, but as I was putting the last few in, I started getting suspicious...
all worms have some banding, when you pick these up, they are really pale one side, roll them over and they look a bit toooo stripy for my liking.
Is this just down to how they have been kept? or will I lose most of my snakes by morning?
worms1.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

They are at risk as those are red worms. Any chance you can get them to regurgitate?
I would monitor the situation for any signs of trouble.
They may also be just fine. Time will tell.
How many snakes did you feed?
Please keep us posted.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Those sure do look like red wigglers but I wouldn't be rushing to do anything drastic. Truthfully toxins are already being absorbed and to be honest, forcing regurgitation would be rather stressful and if you don't know what you are doing, you will injure or kill the snake.

To be fair, a lot of beginners have fed, and do feed red wigglers to their snakes and never even known it was a bad thing. When I was very young, I did this exact thing! The snakes survived. Actually they showed no sign of illness. I would also get customers at work that would tell me they feed them regularly without a problem and that was the reason they would shrug off my attempts to convince them to stop! BUT I have seen cases where other people's snakes have regurgitated and possibly even died from eating them. They are definitely something to be avoided at all costs. But from now on, at least you know what they look like! And I am hoping that the snakes turn out to be fine for you.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

One thing I can suggest... make sure the snakes have heaps of fresh clean water available! And maybe give them a mist. The more hydrated they are, the better they will be able to deal with what they have eaten.

[CrazyHedgehog]

I got most back out, so only a couple, but the first ones I fed were the San Francisco babies, I cut the worms up over some trout...and I think they have all eaten at least half a worm each! It wasn't till I was getting to the end of the tub that they seemed so stripy, am just sat kicking myself now!

[CrazyHedgehog]

In the garden, the red wigglers are really more pronounced stripes, its not till these started stretching out that I noticed...

[chris-uk]

Would it help to get some lob worms into the ones that have eaten this batch? I'm thinking it will push through the digestive tract and also provide more fluid.
I've not been in this situation, but it would seem to make sense to me.

[CrazyHedgehog]

I know 25 years ago when I kept snakes, I would feed all sorts, red wigglers were the easiest to find so they often got those, along with gold fish and frozen whitebait!
I did have a Thiamine problem (snake had a fit, hurling itself round the tank) but after a trip to the vet, a couple of injections later and a regular dusting of powder feeding carried on the same , snake made a full recovery and no more problems....
....
However, never with ones so small!, one is a real fussy eater, and the worms seem to work, ...
I am hoping that the problems occur with excessive build up, and that a one of is not good but won't be too much..
will go digging in the morning and see if I can find any real ones in the snow!

[Greg'sGarters]

If possible, have them regurgitate them now. What I do it I will palpate the snakes to find where the end of the worm is. I will carefully push the worms back out of the snakes mouth, this will work if the worms are barely/not digested. Please keep us updated!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I know 25 years ago when I kept snakes, I would feed all sorts, red wigglers were the easiest to find so they often got those, along with gold fish and frozen whitebait!
I did have a Thiamine problem (snake had a fit, hurling itself round the tank) but after a trip to the vet, a couple of injections later and a regular dusting of powder feeding carried on the same , snake made a full recovery and no more problems....
....
However, never with ones so small!, one is a real fussy eater, and the worms seem to work, ...
I am hoping that the problems occur with excessive build up, and that a one of is not good but won't be too much..
will go digging in the morning and see if I can find any real ones in the snow!

Like I said, I personally have never witnessed a snake dying directly after eating one batch of wigglers. I do believe I have seen other's accounts that the snakes regurgitated after eating, and I think they were babies.... but maybe whether or not the snakes sicken could also depend on what the worms have been feeding on.... certain foods may increase their toxicity! Similar to how captive bred dart frogs are not poisonous.