Advice on switching a baby garter snake from live fish?

[guidofatherof5]

Garters sometimes die from "failure to thrive" I think some are developmentally behind and didn't get the "eat" switch turned on. Don't be too hard on yourself, most of us have been where your at.

[Albert Clark]

Sadly, I came home today to find that he had passed away. I only had him for nine days in total. I wish I had done a better job for him. Hopefully the remaining two continue to do well.

Sorry for the loss! I find it perplexing that he would die within a nine day period. Maybe there was something else going on with him. You did all you could and shouldn't blame yourself at all. Some animals just are not going to survive despite our best efforts. There is a type of feeding called " tease feeding" where you pick the animal up and hold him in your hand while lightly offering food very close to his face. A very effective method for reluctant feeders especially hatchling or neonates. I have to do this with one of my albino checkereds right now. He is way behind in feeding, size, and overall development.

[kcl]

Thank you both for the advice and support. I did try to tease feed but he seemed to think he was being murdered any time I touched him (reasonable when you're so tiny) .

I've tried it with the other two as well as they are currently being stubborn, but the only one who doesn't think he's being murdered every time (still does most times) is the one who has been a good eater until just recently. That one just shed today so I assume he will start eating again. If you do have advice on how to keep them from being terrified in order to tease feed, I'd love to know for reference even if I hopefully won't have to do it at this point.

Fyi, I only touch them when necessary to move them, I mostly just clean around them and definitely don't handle them for fun - they're so tiny! I am perfectly happy just handling my ball python when he is not digesting or in shed as he is healthy, well established, and doesn't seem to mind.

[Zdravko092368]

It probably wasn't your fault, in most litters of garters there is usually 1-3 snakes that fail to thrive, something about their brain doesn't develop properly and they just don't eat or something internally didn't develop properly.

I just started getting into breeding garters and I don't think I would sell garters until a month or two old at least to avoid selling those failure to thrive ones before the issues became apparent.

[Albert Clark]

Thank you both for the advice and support. I did try to tease feed but he seemed to think he was being murdered any time I touched him (reasonable when you're so tiny) .

I've tried it with the other two as well as they are currently being stubborn, but the only one who doesn't think he's being murdered every time (still does most times) is the one who has been a good eater until just recently. That one just shed today so I assume he will start eating again. If you do have advice on how to keep them from being terrified in order to tease feed, I'd love to know for reference even if I hopefully won't have to do it at this point.

Fyi, I only touch them when necessary to move them, I mostly just clean around them and definitely don't handle them for fun - they're so tiny! I am perfectly happy just handling my ball python when he is not digesting or in shed as he is healthy, well established, and doesn't seem to mind.

That's cool! I only pick mine up when it's time to clean however it's just moving them from the soiled tub to the already prepared replacement tub. Also sometimes they get picked up if they lurch forward out of reach and I have to move quicker than them to avoid a accident. As far as the tease feeding is concerned you may have to be a bit forceful despite the hatchling feeling like he's "being murdered". Use the food to essentially do more of a assist feeding and put the prey item into the snakes mouth. Usually they will begin the pulling in of the prey and swallow it. Once again so sorry for your loss.

[kcl]

Ah, yeah, I did try putting the food in the one's mouth. He did not start swallowing, but I likely should've gotten it a bit further in to his mouth. I think it's one of those things where practice and technique makes a big difference (I've volunteered at a wildlife center for several years and everything from feeding baby birds to tubing baby opossums, to moving adult hawks is way easier the fifth+ time than the first no matter what). Hopefully I never need to try again with the remaining two. Although I appreciate learning new techniques and theories, I'm far happier when the animals don't need them!

[Tommytradix]

did you buy them or catch them? if bought who did you get them from?

[kcl]

I purchased them from Don. Just to be very clear - I have no criticisms of Don. I think he seems to do a very good job of taking care of these animals and conducting his business in general. I did reach out to him for advice on the one at the time as well and he was very responsive and gave much of the same advice. The remaining two seem healthy and are generally eating and growing well. I would have no issues with recommending Don.

[Tommytradix]

I purchased them from Don. Just to be very clear - I have no criticisms of Don. I think he seems to do a very good job of taking care of these animals and conducting his business in general. I did reach out to him for advice on the one at the time as well and he was very responsive and gave much of the same advice. The remaining two seem healthy and are generally eating and growing well. I would have no issues with recommending Don.

why so defensive?
i know don very well. his passing wasnt your fault. imo don shouldnt have sold them while they were eating live and switched them for you before sending them. i start all my babies on worms and within 3 weeks they are eating pinks then i wait for them to shed then sell them. he came to you not eating a proper diet and barely eating and even i would have a hard time switching them to another food item and ive had 25+ litters. i also would constantly worry about if they have parasites or not. did you request them before they were switched to a better food source? it dont seem like something he would do

[kcl]

Not defensive - just don't want someone's name linked to negative things unnecessarily. More for anyone else who happens to read then you specifically, sorry! They were listed as ready & for sale on his facebook page. I did not make any specific requests and had no particular desire to get them when they were very young. I'd be perfectly ok with any age really and only care about them being healthy. Two of the three started eating fish pieces or worms when I offered them.

The one that passed did not seem to acknowledge any of the following as food: feeder guppies, rosy red minnows (bad for them, I know but better than starvation! None of the others have been or will be offered this food), nightcrawler pieces, salmon pieces, silverside pieces, pinky pieces. He did acknowledge the live danio as food. The pet stores won't sell the danios if they know I plan to feed them so I was reluctant to get him more of them but had on the day he passed.