Great news everyone!

[EasternGirl]

My baby garter, Bibur, finally ate! He ate a couple pieces of earthworm...and I'm hoping he goes back and eats some more. He also drank some water. Now I can stop worrying constantly. Question: he is about a foot long, his head is no bigger than my fingernail...how much should he eat and how often?

BTW...it was really cool to watch him eat!

[guidofatherof5]

The young can eat 3 times a week. You don't want to stuff the little one.
Much depends on the food size being offered and what food. Worms pass rather quickly. 24 hours after you feed Bibur his stomach bulge should return to normal.
Be sure to check out the care sheet to answer many of your questions:
Garter Snake Care Sheet - Caresheets
Glad to hear things are going well.

[EasternGirl]

Thanks for the reply. I read the care sheet and I have a few more questions that perhaps some members could answer. Should I try to feed him a whole worm? For example, should I be putting an entire earthworm in three times a week?

Should I buy vitamin supplements for him?

How do I know if the snake is a boy or a girl?

Bibur has a plastic terrarium...I have a heating pad for humans underneath one side of his cage, set on low. The heating pads at the pet store say they can only be used on glass, but Bibur can escape from glass terrariums at this point. How can I provide heat and know that it isn't too much for him? I also have a basking light.

I want to hold him but he seems so skiddish right now....should I wait? Will he bite?

Thanks for putting up with my endless questions.....you guys rock!

[mb90078]

Quantity to feed really depends on size and age, so it's hard to say exactly, but I think feeding 2 half pieces of worm 3 times a week might be OK, perhaps a little on the light side.

Vitamin supplements are not necessary if you're planning to feed a balanced diet (fish, pinkies, worms, etc). If only using worms, you may want to think about it, but it still is probably not 100% necessary.

Hard to say about the heating pad. To be safe, I would personally put towel in between the pad and the plastic to absorb some of the heat and make it less intense. I would also strongly recommend a thermometer to gauge the heat inside.

Now that he's eating, he may slowly be adapting to life in captivity. Maybe after the food has been given time to digest, you can perhaps just put your hands in the tank to get him used to your presence. Do this a couple times, and then go for short, calm handling sessions. He may bite, but probably not.

Thanks for the reply. I read the care sheet and I have a few more questions that perhaps some members could answer. Should I try to feed him a whole worm? For example, should I be putting an entire earthworm in three times a week?

Should I buy vitamin supplements for him?

How do I know if the snake is a boy or a girl?

Bibur has a plastic terrarium...I have a heating pad for humans underneath one side of his cage, set on low. The heating pads at the pet store say they can only be used on glass, but Bibur can escape from glass terrariums at this point. How can I provide heat and know that it isn't too much for him? I also have a basking light.

I want to hold him but he seems so skiddish right now....should I wait? Will he bite?

Thanks for putting up with my endless questions.....you guys rock!

[gregmonsta]

I would not trust a heat pad without the use of a thermostat.

[ConcinusMan]

Better to go get yourself a 20 gallon long reptile enclosure and use a 40 to 60 watt incandescent bulb over one end of it. (use a dome fixture). Makes a perfect temperature gradient. Close to natural spectrum is recommended but UV output is not necessary. I find killer deals on enclosures on craigslist every day. Somebody yesterday was asking $50 for a 120 gallon glass tank. Wow.

Using that heat pad and plastic setup can be dangerous. Besides, garters like to bask under "sunlight"

[EasternGirl]

Thanks for the help...the problem is right now with Christmas and being out of work...and the money I already spent on Bibur's home...I'm kind of strapped for money. I was going to go to the pet store today and get a thermostat and some fake plants for him. There is only one pet store near me that carries reptiles...and where they have a reptile manager that knows about reptiles...the tanks that they carry have tops that Bibur could certainly escape from. They said they could order me a special snake lid...but it's pretty pricey. I will look on Craig's list. For now, I do have a dome basking lamp on one side of his cage, and the heat pad is only under one end of his cage, with a towel in between, so that he can move away from the heat if he wants. He ate a whole half of a worm today, btw!

I should put a bowl with water filled enough so he can swim, right?

[EasternGirl]

One more thing....so he doesn't need a heat pad if he has a basking light?

[guidofatherof5]

One more thing....so he doesn't need a heat pad if he has a basking light?

Probably not but there is always a good debate about which is best.
It boils down to personal preference.
I'm a under tank heater fan. You'll figure out what works best for you in time.

[ConcinusMan]

It really depends on the enclosure and your snake. My iowa albino hates light and hides most of the time. For him, an under tank heater is appropriate since he's always nestled down in the substrate or hiding under moss, etc. However, I have a temperature probe placed in her favorite hiding spot to make sure it's a good temperature. If the ambient air temperature drops below 70, I also turn on a 40 watt ceramic heat emitter to warm the air in her tank.

All my other snakes seem to prefer bright basking bulbs (combined with florescent for a more natural spectrum). They just love to pile up together under the bulb. If used with a dome that directs the light straight down, I can achieve 90 degrees on one end of a 20 gallon while the cool end is only around 74 degrees.

I would definitely recommend a basking bulb if the ambient air temperature is at or below 70. No point in making them cling to the bottom to warm themselves because the air is too cold. I just find that my snakes are more active, eat more, and seem happier with warm, artificial "sunlight"