Found a baby. Identification confirmation and care?

[Light of Dae]

Oh and I've done this as well to get a non-eater to eat. ... Stop offering food. Ignore her for a few days(5-7). Then offer a nice wet dish of Worms. Maybe even try Pinkie mouse chunks(cut it up when frozen)

With my first wild baby Radix I left him alone after a week of pestering him to eat worms n fish(which he didn't touch) Then I offered something completely different. Mouse pieces. Wouldn't you know it, He ate.
New smell, New intrigue.

It can be a challenge and a very frustrating challange at that, to try n get a wild snake to eat, let alone a baby wild caught.
Give it time, He'll eat.
Lol It'll be a great tool to teach patience with, Maybe mark on a calendar with your little girl how many days are 'no playing with snake' days n then feed day!

[RissaVS]

Thanks for all the advice! I had thought about putting the food in water, but didn't know if it would be good for her, or if it would make the food more or less appetizing.

I worried about ignoring her for 5 to 7 days since she already hasn't eaten for about 10. Since most people seem to agree that baby garters can go for a while without eating, I feel a little better about it.

Today we were gone all day, so I left three silverside pieces in there before we left. Now they are just dried up bits. :-(

She's poking her head out of her hide again, watching me. I love the picture of your snake in the worm stew. :-)

As for the rock pile, they are only small, flat river stones, three on the bottom, and one on top.

[guidofatherof5]

Have you tried any feeder fish?

[Light of Dae]

I meant put water in the dish you serve food on, not in her fresh water, It gives her more time to try them, Not eating for 20 days is fine, just means she'll be hungrier n more inclined to eat when food is suddenly offered after a long break. Trust us, she'll be fine.

Leave her alone n let her mind settle n get fully wrapped around where she is n that its not scary.
I've got a little Radix (stub tail) that I found not too to long ago, I let him go 7 days without food just fine, I fed him yesterday n now he is fat n happy looking at me.

When I first got George he went... 2 months without eating. I left him alone, not offering food or anything for two and a half weeks at the end of it... Offered food and he ate everything in his dish.

[Light of Dae]

Thanks for all the advice! I had thought about putting the food in water, but didn't know if it would be good for her, or if it would make the food more or less appetizing.

I worried about ignoring her for 5 to 7 days since she already hasn't eaten for about 10. Since most people seem to agree that baby garters can go for a while without eating, I feel a little better about it.

Today we were gone all day, so I left three silverside pieces in there before we left. Now they are just dried up bits. :-(

The more water the get the better, worst thing that could happen with a lot of water... She will pee more. lol

As far as appetizing.. I know none of my snakes will eat dry n tacky food. My very first Radix tried to eat a worm that I had set out without water and it almost seemed like he couldn't swallow it, it looked like it was so... tacky that it got stuck in his mouth. I grabbed a plastic bag, put a hole in it and dripped water on my snakes head n on his worm n then he finished it no problem.

Food stays moist with water Gives her a longer time to decide if she wants to eat it. She might have gone to the fish pieces n wanted one but after touching it figured it wasn't the right texture.

[RissaVS]

I did try feeder fish, too, but she really seemed uninterested. I had them swimming around in her water area until they went belly up.

I'll definitely put her food in some water when I do try to feed her again. It's amazing how long they really can go without eating, huh? It's so counterintuitive. I get paranoid that when I go to feed her after ignoring her for 5 days she'll have starved to death. :/

[RissaVS]

Light of Dae, thanks so much for the winning advice! We left her alone in her tank for about 5 days. She looked like she was getting more comfortable a few days before that because she was in the open a lot. On Sunday I put the bottom 1/3 of a pinkie in her cage, sliced into little chunks (very weird to do). Midafternoon, I glanced in, and there she was chomping away. It was really cool to watch, though I mostly looked out of the corner of my eye.

This morning I put another third of the pinkie in there, and when we came back home in a few hours it was gone. Yay! Should I be feeding her more than 1/3? She finished it up both times, but she's only about 12 inches tip to tail, and still thinner than a pencil (except for the current mouse bulge).

[Light of Dae]

Awesome to hear she ate! I'd give a full pinkie chopped up and see what she eats. I offer more then what they can eat generally. Especially with little ones, so what if they are fat for a few days they got lots of growing to do

Try adding some night crawlers / dew worms chopped up as well. Mine LOVE their worms mixed with pinkie mice.

[lauwersp]

REALLY nice baby... enjoy the baby stage... I'm really enjoying my first one!

[EasternGirl]

Good news that she ate! Don't worry though if she should ever go off food again. I have had snakes go off food for months for one reason or another. Garters can go a long time without eating. You should only worry if they are showing other signs of sickness or looking very thin. Sounds like things are going well for you now though! Keep us posted.