I'm new and I love snakes!

[MasSalvaje]

It looks like us Utahns are slowly making our way to thamnophis domination. Welcome aboard!

If you have any questions at all Don is the local source to turn to, I would volunteer to answer any questions as well but Don knows a lot more than I do.

I have a pair of T. e. vagrans that are amazing. My male will eat anything I wiggle in front of him, my female however is pretty picky and will only take mice.

Oh and about the info you got from Petsmart, I would not trust any info I recieved from them or any other pet store in the area for that matter. My local pet stores insist that goldfish and crickets are the best diet for Garters.

-Thomas

[ssssnakeluvr]

ooops...I forgot to mention that myself....ignore pretty much any pet store here tells you about garters.....they get wild caught ribbons and green snakes and put them together and throw crickets in for them....the greens eat the crickets so they assume all are eating crickets....

[k2l3d4]

Do you know what type of Garter you have over there..... I have heard mentioned that the Radix will eat a variety of foods including Earthworms.... Now I have two Checkereds (one normal, one albino) and they will not touch worms of any kind..( I have tried the wax worms, and earthworms) I feed my little two Pinkie mice and I also give them a treat of feeder fish once a month for a little variety. I have not had any luck yet with store bought fish. My two like their fish to be swimming in their water bowl and their pinkies to be on a plate.

[ssssnakeluvr]

wandering garter, only species in the valley here (well, there are valleys, but not found in this general area). forget the waxworms....they are insect larva. some snakes take worms fine and others don't. I have had wnderings that take worms like a champ and others wont touch them

[Sssssnakey]

Wow! You all are so welcoming! Thanks a bunch!

After I cut up the fish, freeze and thaw it do I warm it like I do the pinkies? (I just boil them from frozen for 1 minute.)

Thanks Don! I'll pm you my info.

I'm going to have to look for that home page care sheet. I thought I looked everywhere, but I'll look again.

I'll get some pictures to post so I can get your help sexing him/her. I hope Sammy's not embarrassed by immodesty (his/her own that is). lol

Thanks so much for all your help and encouragement!

[Snaky]

Welcome to the forum and have fun here

[guidofatherof5]

Wow! You all are so welcoming! Thanks a bunch!

After I cut up the fish, freeze and thaw it do I warm it like I do the pinkies? (I just boil them from frozen for 1 minute.)

Boil seem like too much heat. Room temp thawed fish should work fine. Next time you serve pinkies, fill a large glass with hot tap water. Your pinkies will thaw in a few minutes and will be nice and warm come serving time. My radixes could care less if they're warm. When mouse is on the menu I think they would eat them frozen(which would be deadly for them) I've gotten busy and by the time I serve them they're cold. Cold or warm they get slammed down. My normally content and patient eaters turn into savages when mouse is on the menu. I have to count my fingers at the end of feed night.

[drache]

here's a link to the care sheets, but you can also access them on the home page on the left
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets...ake_Care_Sheet

[Sssssnakey]

My normally content and patient eaters turn into savages when mouse is on the menu. I have to count my fingers at the end of feed night.

lol, that is funny!

The cup of warm water sound like an easier way to go. It's great to have such wonderful resources available. Thanks!

[k2l3d4]

Ok but how does one go about it with the frozen fish? Sorry about butting in here. I like to give my little ones variety but I do not like useing the feeder fish because of the thiemin issue. And my little ones like their pinkies very warm,... won't touch them if they are cold.