Garters eating INSECTS!!!

[Zephyr]

On the way home from a farm market we swung by one of those Ma and Pa pet stores way out in the boondocks. lol
They were selling wax worms, nice fat ones, for $.60 a dozen. Obviously I had to buy.
So I came home and realized since I have to skip feeding day tomorrow I'd do it today. So I grabbed one of the worms and said "Oh, what the hell." And offered it on tweezers to Bubblegum my albino checkered female.
SHE TOOK IT.
The butler's looked interested.
TOOK IT.
So did one of Don's wanderings, a picky eater.
TOOK IT.
I was totally amazed; don't worry, I HAVE PICS!
I've also got a video; I'll load that to Youtube in a bit.


The first one's severely out of focus because I'd just grabbed my camera.

[Zephyr]

One of the butler's. Yeah, I know you can't tell what she's eating but it IS a wax worm!

[Zephyr]

YouTube - Garter snake eats a wax worm!
Videographic proof.

[Stefan-A]

Videographic proof that garters may try to eat anything.

[Zephyr]

Videographic proof that garters may try to eat anything.

Ah, but they came back for multiple servings.
So.
Perhaps insect larvae comprise a small amount of their wild diets.

[Stefan-A]

Have you considered adding a disclaimer to that video?

[Zephyr]

Have you considered adding a disclaimer to that video?

Such as... Insects should not be fed solely when other foods are more readily accepted?

[Stefan-A]

Such as: Insects shouldn't be fed at all. Just because garters may under certain circumstances eat them doesn't mean that insects are a part of their diet. Just because garters will eat something, doesn't mean they should.

Something along those lines. Anything to avoid doing them a gigantic disservice by announcing that garters eat insects.

[Zephyr]

Just the fact that the garters eat them means they recognize them as food. If you noticed, when garter in the video ate the wax worm, she didn't just strike at it, which would have been from a visual cue. She flicked her tongue at it a few times, opened her mouth and ate.
Just because it may seem highly illogical, or previously unrecorded doesn't mean it's not true.
There's the evidence; if you need more you'll have to wait until the next feeding day.
And also, notice I said WAX WORMS on the video and in the thread; we have clear evidence of them eating waxworms but as far as other insects go we have no evidence.

[Stefan-A]

Just the fact that the garters eat them means they recognize them as food.

Whether or not they recognize them correctly or incorrectly, is the issue. This is something that has popped up from time to time, with garters identifying anything from substrate to silicone in the enclosure as food and ending up trying to eat them. If it wasn't dangerous, I'd feed one of my snakes Legos just to prove that point.

I've fed mine beef occasionally. Does that mean that they recognize cows as food? Of course not.

If you noticed, when garter in the video ate the wax worm, she didn't just strike at it, which would have been from a visual cue. She flicked her tongue at it a few times, opened her mouth and ate.

I noticed that you offered the worm from the forceps. Is that how you normally feed them? I also noticed that the snake was reluctant to grab it and that it only did it as you pushed the worm against the side of the mouth. In case you didn't know, that's a trick you'd use on a reluctant feeder. It's a way to provoke them into grabbing a food item.

And also, notice I said WAX WORMS on the video and in the thread; we have clear evidence of them eating waxworms but as far as other insects go we have no evidence.

Trust me, I noticed. I also noticed you yelling at 0:17 that "garter snakes eat insects".