Feeders for Thamnophis Radix (Plains Snake)

[BeardedIggy]

as of late i have been feeding my Snakes Fish i have been trying to stay away from fish with thiamine(sp?) but i kind of want to do with out fish all together. i know you can feed mice (pinkie,fuzzy,ect.) but i want to know what is the best option while still being the cheapest option for garter snkaes and where do you get your feeders from?

i have an adult female and adult male and one adolecent

[Stefan-A]

i have been trying to stay away from fish with thiamine(sp?)

Thiaminase.

[drache]

I don't know about Canada, but here in the US, chopping up a fish is more economical than rodents - even at bulk prices
I try to offer my snakes both, but many have preferences

[ssssnakeluvr]

variety is the best for them..... as for fish, get trout and salmon filets and chop them into meal size portions and freeze them. I feed mine fish, rodents, and worms....good variety

[infernalis]

I don't know about Canada either but I just ordered 400 mice from rodent pro and all combined it still works out to .25 per pinky.

Yes I breed my own mice, but I have a hard time taking babies away from moms 10 minutes after they are born, so we always have a steady supply of larger mice for the Python, Corn and milk snakes.

I wanted to start feeding a better diet, They all take Salmon and Tilapia fine now as well, and I found a store that sells frozen fillet for a dollar a slab, its safe cheap food.

The adults get treated to a cut up night crawler from time to time as well.

My Radix all readily grab cut up fish off the tongs, and I am sure they will grab up the scented pinks.

Is there a rodent supplier up your way??

If you only have one snake, get a pair of adult mice, they will produce just about the right amount of pinks to sustain one snake.

If you live in a reptile petting zoo, it gets real complex

[BeardedIggy]

i have 3 snakes but i am considering getting rid of 2 or maybe one no suppliers for rodents that i know of i cant breed rodents my mother would kill me if she found out i was breeding rodents for snake food i could do salmon.

for an adult Female Garter are pinkie mice to big? does it need to be chopped? what about adult males? and adolecent Garters?

[duh duh duh]

you can get bulk frozen pinkies pretty easy on the net.

check out Welcome - Reptiles Canada and someone there can help you out.

Where in Canada are you?

pinkies are definately NOT too big. I think you could feed an adult garter a regular sized adult mouse. Certainly pinkies and hoppers are no problem.

[BeardedIggy]

wait an adult female garter can eat a full on mouse? what about males? and jeuveniles?

[infernalis]

wait an adult female garter can eat a full on mouse? what about males? and jeuveniles?

I would only give them pinkies or peach fuzzy mice....

[duh duh duh]

I have vivid memories of catching garter snakes at our family's ranch while we were kids. They would always be caught at the same place and always had a belly full of mice - usually pinkies, but occasionally full grown as well.

It has to be a healthy, full grown snake to take an adult, but I've seen it first hand.

The point being that you certainly do not need to cut up pinkies for an adult or even juvenille garter. I'd even take my chances trying a pinky on a young one as well.