My BLACK NECKS are coming!!!

[MoJo]

Wow! I am shocked that he ate or even survived the trip! That is great news.

[infernalis]

Jo - He surprised me too, The funny thing is he did not eat a complete salamander yet.

The ones I left with him (there were 5) all have missing tails

5 salamander tails is a start, it's food. He's already more lively, cruising the tank with the ladies now.

Skittish little fella, I felt bad leaving him in that feeder box overnight, One of the ladies already regurgitated from being spooked, so when they eat something, I leave them in the box for a while to settle before I dare to move them.

Here is the setup, The reason I used the grass is to prevent impaction, and simulate nature. (The salamanders won't get all covered in substrate, and stay alive until the snakes get at them.)

The data that I read stated that this species prefers wetlands and streams for it's natural habitat, so I tried to give them that.

I only wish I had that supply of tiny baby frogs and toads that existed a couple months ago.

Now the next big step is to wean them off amphibians

Thanks for keeping up on what is going on with them I'm so very pleased to get to work with this species. That marking pattern enthralled me from the first time I ever saw one.

[Lori P]

He's so beautiful... you go Wayne!!! I'm pulling for this guy...

[MoJo]

I hope the little girl that regurged does ok! Do you know which one it was so that you can give her tummy a break?

I find it very funny that he bit off the tales or do salamanders let go of their tales when they are distressed? If they do then I guess he needs to be a little faster!

[Garter_Gertie]

Such gorgeous snakes.... I really think they're my favorite of all garters I've seen and come to know. You guys keep up the GREAT work!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Blacknecks are my fav too... only second to the eastern. The eastern will always be my number 1 because they are why I developed a love of snakes in the first place!

Wayne, I am so happy to see that your blacknecks are doing better! lucky for me, I have a stream out back too, so I have that same neverending supply of salamanders for any babies I may have born here that refuse food.

What else I am about to say is really gross, but it does work. A friend at a show told me an easy way to always have the tadpole/frog scent available. Basically, you take a dead tadpole, and you blot off the excess water. Put it in a little drink cap or something similar and allow it to dry out. As long as it totally dries out.. it wil not rot. Whenever he needed to scent for a picky eater, he said he would just put a couple drops of water onto the dried tadpole to revive the scent. I tried this out with a frog that died at my store, and it does work. He used that same old tadpole for 3 years

My blacknecks are sneaky!!! they at first would not eat in front of me... but both of them ate fishies that were dropped in front of them to flop around yesterday, and I carefully used my hemostat as they were swallowing so that they did not ingest any bedding. They are too freaked out to try separate feeding containers yet, but the male ate TWO!!! yay!!!

They are the most pretty, shiny, glowy garter snakes I have ever seen!

[MoJo]

Shannon, I am glad that they are doing well for you. I fed them in separate containers in the dark so that might be why they are shy. Some of them clearly were not shy though!

I tried switching mine over to scented pinky parts the other day and so far no go. Check out kingsnake.com, someone there has them eating pinks already!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

haha! i am out of pinkies now until lext weekend but yea, I don't think I will have too much trouble with that! I will just flop the pinkies around... oh boy haha

[infernalis]

I hope the little girl that regurged does ok! Do you know which one it was so that you can give her tummy a break?

I find it very funny that he bit off the tales or do salamanders let go of their tales when they are distressed? If they do then I guess he needs to be a little faster!

I know the one that regurgitated. I opened up her sandwich box to put her back in the enclosure, when she opened up her mouth, I tried to stop, but it was too late.

And Salamanders do break off tails, when we catch them I am careful to grasp them by the upper body. (My daughter did excellent, since she found most of the little ones.)

Considering he was not all that lively, and seems to have more energy already, I am sure his speed will improve with time.

For now since they are a little skittish, I have all 3 in that grass tank, and several salamanders, the dace minnows keep jumping out of the water bowl, I need some guppies, something that won't jump out of the bowl.

Once I settle on names, at least one is going to be "MoJo" if that's OK????

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Wayne, try dropping the dace minnows on the ground in front of the snakes. Mine REALLY like that.