Feeding - the overkill subject...

[bkhuff1s]

I have a pair of garters in one cage, and they both take to flopping fish like thier hypnotised, but the female wont take a pinky for anything. I've even rubbed the fish against the pinking and she's struck it, latched, and then let go. I was thinking about using trout to rub on the pinkies. I want to know what an appropriate trout + pinking sizing should be. I don't want to over feed.

[jitami]

bk, while you're transitioning her to mice I wouldn't worry too much about over feeding. One or two extra large meals won't hurt. It's over feeding over time that causes obesity and the resulting health problems. General rule of thumb is one or two prey items 1 to 1.5 times the width of her head(I've also heard the widest part of her body, but most here seem to agree that slightly smaller is better). Good luck

[Lori P]

Have you put the pinkies in the water dish with the fish? This seems to be very successful. They lunge for the fish, hit the pinky instead, and down it goes!

[bkhuff1s]

Actually I don't feed them fish in the water bowl, I put them on the ground and have them flop around. It drives the snakes crazy...

[Lori P]

Ah. Well... I couldn't do that to the fish, personally, but, if you put them in a small bowl of water and add the pinkies you'll quite possibly have success.

[bkhuff1s]

Will do, thanks

[infernalis]

Grab the pink by its tail with tongs or hemoststs, then move it around a lot.

I have one puget that will spit out the pink 2 out of 3 times but he always eats it before we are done.

[bkhuff1s]

I've gone so far as trying to force feed a couple of times at this point. I bought tilopia (walmart fresh fish section frozen) fish from the store I am going to try and scent the pinkies w/ as well as night crawlers. Let me know what you think Thanks again!

[Thamnophis]

And when a garter snake refuses pinkies and nothing will help... just accept it and keep feeding fish.
There is no garter snake that cannot do without pinkies.

[infernalis]

Feeding milestone - Since I have 400 frozen mice (oops 365) I wanted to see who wanted some thawed rodents.

Every single adult garter in the collection consumed multiple pinkies today!

I cut up Tilapia and salmon, put in the same bowl, and they all ate. I teased a couple with tongs, but in all everyone readily accepted pinks