what do i have and what should i do?

[scott n]

hi all.

saturday the 12th i cought a wee garter the my dad uncovered while we were collecting scrap wood from a house being build near us(with permision of course)

he currently resides in a 10ga tank furnished with a fake plant for a fish tank that it loves, 2 water dishes, and 2 flat rocks; one just laying flat and one leaned up against a third rock to make a shelter. substrate is astroturf over 2 one sheet layers of newspaper; all cut to fit.

i don't know what kind it is. it's black with a grey/yellowish stripe down each side and a same color spot at the dorsal back of the head. and i'm thinking its a baby since it's only ~7in long and ~1/4in in diameter.

since i found it, it hasn't eaten anything; i've tried store bought freeze dried meal worms and garden dug worms(including making sure the food never touches my skin)
snake is still active and has been seen drinking several times, but seems scared when someone is in the room(this is espec so when i take the cover off for maint or feeding)
i've not handled the snake much other than for removal for cleaning and such.

thoughts? suggestions?

[Stefan-A]

It can take them some time to get acclimated. You're doing the right thing by not handling it more than is absolutely necessary, but the astroturf doesn't seem like a good substrate to me.

Forget about the meal worms and all other sorts of insects, they aren't garter food. Worms are okay, though. Try pieces of fish or suitable size live fish if that fails.

If you don't have a picture of this snake, knowing where it was caught is necessary. It might noy even be a garter. For example, people frequently come here with brown snakes they've caught, believing they were garters.

[Didymus20X6]

Pics, or GTFO! (just kidding - but pics go a long way in helping to ID).

As Stefan says, region where you caught it also is a big help in determining species.

A 7 inch snake probably wants nothing much bigger than small slugs or worms. I'm not sure about meal worms, but chopped up nightcrawlers seems like a popular starter garter food around here.

A method that has worked for me, recommended by Father Guido, is to put the snake in a large tub with nothing in it, and a few live appropriately sized fish in with him (guppies are highly recommended). When the fish start flopping, the garter's hunting instinct kicks in, motivating him to strike.

But patience might be the best approach. Snakes seem to take time getting used to their new environment. I've heard it can take up to a month for a freshly caught snake to finally eat. If you can't get him to eat beyond that, it might be best to let him go.

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome, Scott.
Give your snake sometime to get used it its new surroundings and you. If I may suggest. Don't have anything heavy leaning on anything. You may think it could never fall but if it does your snake could be injured or killed.
Any food suggestions are for a garter and since we really don't know what you have, take it with a grain of salt.
Earthworms in dirt. Guppies in a shallow bowl will drive a garter crazy. Hope you can post us a picture. Best of luck.

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Scott

[scott n]

thanks for the tips all.
i'll pick up some guppies on my way home from college this after noon.

about how long can a snake go with out eating? (i know thats tricky since i dont know for sure what i have)

[Mommy2many]

Welcome to the forum, Scott! Where do you live?

[Charis]

That does depend on what you have, but feeding every 3 to 4 days is probably okay. At least until you can get an I.D. on the snake.

[gregmonsta]

Greetings

[jitami]

Snakes can go a long time without eating and still be ok. Once we figure out what exactly it is, so we can nail down a perfect food source, I'd say if it isn't eating in two weeks it's time to start thinking about releasing it before it gets too cold out.