The Dreaded Cricket Diet.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

So... I would defiantely say that there is one thing worse than when people feed the snake they found some goldfish. Yup, I am talking about the cricket diet. The diet that causes their snake to slowly starve to death, without them even knowing what is happening! I am not sure where this rumor started up that garter snakes eat crickets... but it is a very wide spread one!

Yesterday, I was bagging crockets for a man and his son and I just happened to hear him utter the word snake. So I politely chimed in- Oh, you have a green snake! "no, we have a baby garter snake"! I almost dropped the bag of crickets.

I said... sir garter snakes dont eat crickets. I could instantly see the concern he expressed. He said... are you sure??? I said, yes, I am POSITIVE. And I said are you SURE you have a baby garter? He said yes, my son found it in our yard. So I said to him does it have a heavily checkered pattern? He said no, it doesnt actually have any pattern at all! I said, you msot likely don't have a garter...

He asked me if he could bring it in and I said absolutely! Within 10 minutes he was back, I was happy to see that he actually cared very much about getting the -proper- help with this snake. Sure enough, he had a baby Dekay's Brown Snake. A leeeetle guy at that. I said yup it sure isnt a garter! They guy was bewildered, he had taken it to another pet store where a man ID'ed it as a garter snake and told him it ate crickets. After my explanations of how this little snake is different from garters, and what the proper diet and housing is for both garter's and dekays the guy bought some more stuff.

I then took a good look at the snake, to find that it is very underweight, his back end is limp-ish, hangs there like a noodle. He mentioned they were going on vacation for a week and at that moment I knew this little snake would not last without my help. I informed him that the snake was in poor condition and asked if I could take care of it and try to get it to a full recovery while he and his family were away... he hastily agreed, I am so glad. I could tell that he was very livid that the other pet store mis-informed him as much as they did. So now I have this leeeetle noodle for a snake, offered him some worms and a leeeetle slug, but no luck. I think he may be too stressed out from being kept in a cage outdoors and having 20 small crickets dumped on him every week for 3 weeks straight (they were escaping but they guy thought he was eating them). I am seriously considering syringing him some egg yolk if he doesnt eat by tomorrow night.

I also told him about all of my baby garters, and I told him that as long as he promises to follow the caresheet I provide him that I would GLADLY give him one or two. He seemed very, very, relieived to be able to talk to someone so expierienced and I am just very glad that I spoke up when I heard the word snake. I told him that their diet includes a little bit more than the dekays snake and he seemed happy to hear that. He actually seems very concerned for the little snake, he was highly understanding(such a relief when so many people dont give a ****) and he even convinced his son who was highly upset about his snake not coming on vacation with him that "she is a doctor and she said your snake is not well because the guy at that other store told us some bad information and she is going to try and make him all better for you!" then the little boy smiled at me and was like "Promise to bring him back, okay?!?! we will be gone for SEVEN DAYS!!!" I said yes I promise that as long as he gets better that I will bring him back, along with a new baby garter friend also.

So, I am going to provide them with a caresheet, and I am going to give them the BEST eating baby or two i have, and hopefully, introduce another family to the wonderful world of garters... the right way... thiaminase and red wriggler worm and cricket and mealworm free!

[Lori P]

Well done Shannon!!!! (Applauding) And that's the way to make a difference in the world... one person at a time!! Keep us posted on the little dekay's, ok? I hope he makes it...

[gregmonsta]

I'm glad he came to your shop!!!

[infernalis]

Shanon, Good luck with that dekay.... I'm here if you need me.

[ssssnakeluvr]

Excellent job!!!!! wish more people at pet stores were that good!!!!

[adamanteus]

Coincidence.... We got a 'basic' snake book from the library today for Molly (she's 4 years old). There is half a page devoted to Garters, the young of which apparently eat insects! One author just seems to plagiarise the mistakes of some previous author, and so the misinformation is perpetuated.

[Sid]

Wat to go, Shannon

[jitami]

Nicely done Shannon! Cool that dad was so concerned and understanding, too. Keep us posted on the little Dekay.

[Garter_Gertie]

Shannon, I love you. You are my role model. You are my heroine (Did I spell that rite?). May I some day know enuff to do what you have done. Bless you.

[anji1971]

That's wonderful Shannon!
It makes me so happy when I see people in the right places at the right time to help others. And when those others are so willing to be helped, it's even better.
Best wishes for the little Dekay's............hope he's gettin' fat and happy by the time they come back for him!