Garter Snake Diet
- Slugs. Garter snakes are not an uncommon sight in gardens where slugs thrive. ...
- Earthworms. Garter snakes eat earthworms, but they have a preference for non-poisonous ones. ...
- Leeches. Most young garters will eat leeches because they are a good size for a meal. ...
- Lizards and Amphibians. Garter snakes eat frogs, newts and lizards. ...
- Rodents. ...
- Fish. ...
What kind of fish should I Feed my garter snake?
- Garter snakes are the most common snakes in the United States.
- Garter snakes get their name from a pattern on their sides that resembles a garter used to hold up socks.
- Picking up a garter snake can cause it to release a foul-smelling liquid.
- Garter snakes come in all sizes but are generally 22 – 30-inches long.
What is the best food source for a garter snake?
- What to feed You have many options for what you can feed your Garter snake, the most common food sources being fish, mice, and earthworms. ...
- How often to feed This depends entirely on their age, size, and what you are feeding your snakes. ...
- What if my snake won't eat? ...
How often should you feed a garter snake?
Method 3 Method 3 of 4: Cleaning Your Snake's Enclosure Download Article
- Remove the snake before you clean the enclosure. Transfer the snake from the enclosure and into a small, plastic container with a lid.
- Change the substrate once per week if you're using paper towels. Remove the old substrate and discard it.
- Replace the substrate every few months if it's shavings, mulch, or bark. ...
What do I feed a garter snake specifically?
Taking Care of Garter Snakes as Pets
- Food variety – garter snakes enjoy variety, so don’t feed them the same food all the time. ...
- The perimeter of their tank – The base should be double the length of the snake to ensure that there’s enough room.
- Provide 2 hide boxes – This will encourage your garter snake to stay calm because it won’t feel overexposed. ...
What does a checkered garter snake eat?
What do checkered garter snakes eat? Mice, toads, frogs, worms, and small fish make up the diet of this snake.
What do garter snakes eat and drink?
Their diet consists of almost any creature they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms (nightcrawlers, as red wigglers are toxic to garter snakes), leeches, lizards, amphibians (including frog eggs), minnows, and rodents. When living near water they will eat other aquatic animals.
Do garter snakes need live food?
Live fish can be advantageous because some garter snakes will refuse to eat anything else. They can also be a great way to get a baby or smaller garter snake feeding, particularly if they need to see their food move (and they're not comfortable with you wiggling food at them; see Problem Feeders, below).
Can garter snakes eat human food?
They don't just prefer meat; they must eat meat. In fact, their bodies can't digest vegetables. Also, even though well-meaning pet store clerks will tell you that they'll eat crickets, they won't. In fact, many pet snake owners say that garter snakes rarely eat insects.
Can you feed a garter snake raw chicken?
Snakes can consume human food like eggs, poultry, fish, pork, and beef when they are unprocessed. This means that the food should be given in its basic and raw form. You cannot give fried or saucy food to your snake as there are already other ingredients in the food that may make your snake sick.
Do garter snakes need water?
Garter snakes are semi-aquatic, meaning they need water for swimming and drinking. Keep a large bowl of clean, chlorine-free water so the snake can soak itself. Change this water daily.
How long can a garter snake last without eating?
How Long Can Snakes Go Without Eating?Pet snake typesRegular feedingHow long can they go without eating?Garter SnakeEvery other day juveniles Once a week adults2 to 3 monthsSmooth Green SnakeOnce or twice per weekA few weeksCape House SnakeOnce a weekA few weeksKenyan Sand BoaOnce a weekUp to a year9 more rows
Do garter snakes eat cat food?
"Snakes do not like cat or dog food, but these foods usually attract rodents, and a snake's primary diet consists of eating mice and rats," Tabassam explains.
Do garter snakes like to be held?
Many garter snakes, particularly if they are captive bred, are gentle and do not mind being handled, and handling them is simply a matter of picking them up and letting them explore your hands. If you have experience handling other snakes, it's important to remember that garter snakes are not constrictors.
Can snakes eat scrambled eggs?
While most snakes can eat an occasional small egg without any negative health issues, we recommend avoiding it unless you own an egg-eating snake.
What can you feed a snake besides mice?
While rats are a popular food source for some snakes, snakes will eat what's available to them.Insects. Smaller snakes, such as the garter snake, will eat a variety of insects, including crickets, cockroaches and insect larva, such as mealworms. ... Small Rodents. ... Eggs. ... Birds and Fish. ... Snakes and Lizards. ... Larger Mammals.
Does snake eat banana?
I'll take that to be a serious question and answer it. NO Snakes are not into eating bananas it's not their choice of food. If it were it would certainly help with their energy levels. All snakes are carnivores and can only eat animal matter: mammals, fish, birds, insects, and eggs.
Will a garter snake bite you?
Though garter snakes will use their sharp teeth to catch prey, it's very unlikely these pests will choose to bite a human. They typically only lash out at humans when they are provoked or feel threatened.
Does a garter snake bite hurt?
It will hurt, but it won't kill you. If bitten, be sure to clean the wound completely and get a tetanus shot, as you should for any type of bite.
How long can a garter snake live without food?
How Long Can Snakes Go Without Eating?Pet snake typesRegular feedingHow long can they go without eating?Garter SnakeEvery other day juveniles Once a week adults2 to 3 monthsSmooth Green SnakeOnce or twice per weekA few weeksCape House SnakeOnce a weekA few weeksKenyan Sand BoaOnce a weekUp to a year9 more rows
How long do garter snakes live for?
Females give birth to a litter of 10 to 40 live young in summer. Young are five to nine inches long at birth. Garter snakes typically live 3 to 4 years.
Do Garter Snakes eat Mice?
Absolutely! Garter snakes have been known to eat Mice on many occasions. Although mice are too big for baby Garter Snakes to consume, they make a great meal for an adult Garter Snake.
Do Garter Snakes Eat Rats?
Rats are one of the meals that Garter Snakes do not typically eat. Rats tend to be larger in size and they sometimes fight back.
Do Garter Snakes Eat Chipmunks?
Chipmunks are not a common staple in the Garter snakes diet, but they can eat chipmunks if they are available.
Do Garter Snakes Eat Crickets?
The short answer? No. Pet stores may tell you that Garter Snakes will go after Crickets, but t hey don’t actually like crickets that much.
Do Garter Snakes Eat Slugs?
Slugs are a favorite treat for Garter Snakes. In the wild, slugs can be a pest to many gardeners, so Garter Snakes take care of the slugs for them.
Do Garter Snakes Eat Chicken Eggs?
Most snake species find chicken eggs to be a delicacy. The Garter snake however, is not one of them.
Do Garter Snakes Eat Ants?
Garter Snakes in the wild and in captivity CAN eat ants. They don’t eat them very often, as it takes many ants to fill up a Garter Snake but they are not completely out of the question.
What is a checkered garter snake?
The Checkered garter snake is a small generally harmless snake found in the Americas . It is typically greenish in color, with a distinct, black checkerboard pattern down its back. There is a large cream-colored crescent mark on each side of the head and the belly is yellowish.
When do checkered garter snakes reproduce?
Checkered garter snakes are polygynous which means that one male mates with more than one female. The breeding season usually takes place from late March through early April. After the gestation period of 80-105 days, females give birth to 6-35 live young. Snakelets are independent at birth and don't require parental care. Young males become reproductively mature at the age of 1,5 years while young females start to reproduce when they are 2 years old.
Where do garter snakes hibernate?
They hibernate in abandoned burrows or deep crevices in rocky hillsides. Garter snakes have complex systems of pheromonal communication and are able to find other snakes by following their pheromone-scented trails.
Where do snakes live?
They prefer to live in the desert, savanna, and grassland, usually close to rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, springs, marshes, swamps, and flooded areas. In the southern parts of their range, these snakes can be found in tropical dry and moist forests.
Is a checkered garter snake a good swimmer?
Habits and Lifestyle. Checkered garter snakes are diurnal terrestrial creatures. They are good swimmers and may spend a long time in the water while searching for prey. When threatened will release a foul-smelling liquid from their cloaca and may also strike and bite if provoked.
What fish can I feed a garter snake?
Types of live fish which are suitable to feed to Garter Snakes are guppies, platties, tilapia and mosquito fish. Avoid gold fish as they contain an enzyme which destroys vitamin B1 and feeding a diet of only goldfish will result in vitamin B1 deficiencies.
Can you feed frozen lance fish to garter snakes?
Defrost the frozen lance fish as needed and feed them to your Garter Snakes using feeding tongs or by leaving ...
Do garter snakes eat mice?
Mice. Garter Snakes will sometimes eat mice in captivity. Some species such as Checkered Garter Snakes will readily accept mice while some species such as Red Sided Garter Snakes are less willing to eat mice. I have found that adult and sub adult Garter Snakes accept mice more readily than younger Garter Snakes.
Can you feed a garter snake worms?
Do not feed your Garter Snakes red wriggler earthworms as these are toxic to Garter Snakes. Red wrigglers are the earthworms used to make compost and are also sold as fishing bait. Earthworms harvested from a pesticide free garden are safe to use as Garter Snake food.
Do garter snakes eat earthworms?
Garter Snakes love earthworms, especially when they are babies and will rarely refuse to eat them. Garter Snakes that are fed earthworms need to be fed much more often than Garter Snakes which are eating fish or mice. If you are feeding your Garter Snake earthworms you will need to feed them every second day as opposed to 2-3 times a week when feeding fish or once a week when feeding mice. Do not feed your Garter Snakes red wriggler earthworms as these are toxic to Garter Snakes. Red wrigglers are the earthworms used to make compost and are also sold as fishing bait. Earthworms harvested from a pesticide free garden are safe to use as Garter Snake food.
Can frogs eat garter snakes?
However frogs do not make a good food for captive Garter Snakes for several reasons. Frogs are very difficult to acquire and usually have to be collected from the wild. Wild frogs are often heavily infested with parasites and many frogs have toxic skin secretions which could harm your Garter Snake.
Can a garter snake eat cat food?
Fish flavoured cat food is a popular choice for most Garter Snakes. Feed your Garter Snakes cat food as part of a varied diet and don’t over do it as cat food can make them fat. Feed tinned cat food to your Garter Snake in a shallow food bowl. Garter Snakes will also eat tinned salmon and tinned tuna.
What do garter snakes eat?
Like many of the other garter snakes, the checkered garter snake’s diet includes small amphibians (frogs and toads), small fish, small mammals, salamanders, some insects, and earthworms. The checkered garter snake actively forages for prey.
Where do checkered garter snakes live?
It is found in various habitats, including semiarid regions of California and the moist forests of Costa Rica.
How many babies can a garter snake have?
A female garter snake can give birth to up to eighty baby garter snakes in one litter.
Why are garter snakes so popular?
Garter snakes are popular, because they are relatively easy to care for. They do not need large enclosures or large and unusual food that is difficult to find. They are also not dangerous to humans. As with any snake, the important thing is to provide them everything they need to be comfortable.
How many snakes are in a litter?
Their litter ranges from 6 to 35 snakes, with a gestation period of 80 to 105 days. Baby snakes, that measure some 9 inches, are born in the spring or summer. The checkered garter snake will strike out and bite if it is provoked or feels threatened, like any other snake.
What is the color of a garter snake?
The primary defining characteristic of a garter snake is a black or very dark colored stripe down the center of the snake’s back. The checkered garter snake is one of the few exceptions to this rule and will be discussed later in this article.
How to get a garter snake to curl up?
The hides you choose for your garter snake should be just big enough for them to curl up inside. Try hollow logs, half logs or the hides that can be bought online or in pet stores. Amazon has a good selection. You also need to give your garter snake ample water, as they are found near water in the wild.
How to accommodate a garter snake?
The easiest way to accommodate your snake is to purchase an aquarium tank or reptile cage (vivarium) with a lockable lid.
Why are checkered garter snakes so popular?
Checkered garter snakes rarely bite and can be easily handled, so they are one of the most popular garter snakes to keep as pets.
What snakes are good for captivity?
Common Garter Snake ( Tham nophis Sirtalis) Checkered Garter Snake ( Tham nophis Marcianus) Ribbon Snake ( Thamnophis Sauritus) These subspecies are known to have a relaxed temperament, feeding well, and thriving in captivity. So, if you’re a beginner, you’re better off opting for one of these snakes.
What are the characteristics of a garter snake?
In addition to their markings, garter snakes have the following characteristics: Thin – most adult garter snakes are 1 inch in diameter. A dark-colored body that is olive, brown, dark red, or black. The stripes on the snake’s body are often yellow but could be white, orange, or tan. The belly is pale green or yellow.
How long does it take for a garter snake to settle down?
Although they may become nervous in a new environment, garter snakes settle down after a couple of weeks, and their temperament can become very relaxed. Most subspecies of garter snake are diurnal (active during the day), so you can observe their activity at a convenient time.
What is the best snake to keep in captivity?
Garter snakes are one of the easiest snakes to care for in captivity. Their calm temperament, small size, and harmless bite make them the ideal pet for any budding herpetologist. Garter snakes are cold-blooded (ectothermic), so you’ll need a heat lamp or pad to regulate their body temperature. They need a meat-based diet to grow and thrive.
Why are garter snakes good pets?
Garter snakes are ideal for new snake owners because their care needs are limited. At the same time, they are fascinating creatures to behold. Here’s why garter snakes can make such great pets: Garter snakes are a ‘natricine’ species, so they don’t constrict their prey.
What Do Garter Snakes Eat?
Like all snakes, garter snakes are carnivores, and they’ll eat what is easiest for them to overpower. This includes earthworms, slugs, leeches, amphibians, small fish, snails, insects, small birds, lizards, and other snakes. In captivity, garter snakes will also eat chicken, mice, and other meat products.
Frequently Asked Questions about What Garter Snakes Eat
Garter snakes have a few natural enemies themselves, including bears, hawks, foxes, squirrels, raccoons, and crows. This is because they’re small and easy to grab and subdue. However, garter snakes have a built-in defense mechanism and release an awful-smelling musk when they are threatened.
Conclusion
Garter snakes have always fascinated me because they provide a window into snakes’ world and behaviors without presenting a threat to humans.
What Do Garter Snakes Look Like?
Garter snakes come in a wide variety of colors and patterns depending on the species — of which there are 30 known varieties — but most are characterized by three longitudinal stripes that run down their backs and the sides of their body. These stripes are typically yellow or green but can vary depending on the species.
How to Feed Garter Snakes
How much and how often you feed your Garter will depend on their age and size and the food that you choose to give them. Worm-eaters will need to be fed more often than mouse-eaters, for example.
Final Thoughts
Garter snakes in the wild feed on various animals, from earthworms to frogs and even other smaller snakes. While it’s usually good advice to try to replicate the diet of your snake in captivity, this is difficult and potentially harmful with Garter snakes because their main diet of amphibians may harbor harmful parasites.
Where are Garter snakes found?
In fact, it is the state reptile of Massachusetts. Interestingly enough, Garter snakes have been spotted in the Northernmost US state, Alaska. Alaska has no native snakes, so these appearances are a bit of a mystery.
How many stripes does a garter snake have?
They come in a wide variety of colors, but most have three stripes running down their bodies. The color of each individual snake and its stripes depends on its species. Some species have intricate patterns as well as stripes, making each one unique. Garter snakes are small, between 23 to 30 inches in length.
Why do garter snakes smell?
Some species of Garter snakes are even proficient swimmers. Whenever a Garter snake feels threatened, they produce a foul-smelling musk. They use this odor to defend themselves against predators.
What snakes live in North America?
If you live in North America, the chances are that you have seen a Garter snake at some point in your life. Garter snakes are some of the most common varieties of snakes.
How to keep a snake warm?
Make sure it has a lid that can be secured. Your snake will need fresh water, and you will need to keep the tank in a warm place. Consider purchasing a heat lamp to keep your new critter warm. It would be best if you fill your new pet’s habitat with rocks and a bed of shredded paper.
Is a garter snake dangerous?
The baby snakes are pretty much on their own right away. Garter snakes are incredibly common, but thankfully they are not dangerous for humans. Humans and Garter snakes can live in relative harmony together. If you have questions or concerns about Garter snakes or any other pests, contact Environmental Pest Management.
Do garter snakes hibernate?
For Garter snakes that live in warmer climates, they don’t hibernate. For those species, instead of a mating season tied to hibernation patterns, they rely on pheromones to find mates. The female Garter snake puts off a strong-smelling pheromone, which will attract dozens of males.
Mice
Fish
- Fish are probably the most “traditional” food item for garter snakes. That said, feeding fish can come with risks. This is because some fish contain an enzyme called “thiaminase” which destroys vitamin B1. This can result in a vitamin B1 deficiency in your snake which, in extreme cases, can be fatal. Goldfish, tuna, bream and the fathead minnow are...
Earthworms
- If your young garter snake refuses to eat mice or fish then earthworms can represent another option. They are, however, far less popular because there have been suggestions that they have the potential to introduce parasites. Be sure to feed earthworms in a shallow food bowl, to prevent them from burrowing down into the substrate, never to be seen again.
Supplements
- If your snake is eating either worms or fish they will need vitamin and mineral supplements a couple of times a month. The three most important supplements they need are calcium, vitamin B1 and vitamin D3. Vitamin B1 is essential if your snake has been eating fish with thiaminase and D3 helps to metabolize calcium.
How Much to Feed Your Snake
- Your snake should have a bulge when it’s eaten, but this shouldn’t be so prominent that it looks like it’s going to explode. If you are feeding mice to your snake, the girth of the mouse should be about the same as that of your snake.
Feeding Problems with Garter Snakes
- In general, garter snakesare good eaters and there isn’t that much that will turn them off their food. However, there are exceptions to the rule and there could be a number of reasons why your snake won’t eat. First of all, your snake might not like the foodthat is on offer. In this case you will have to try it on different foods. Snakes sometimes prefer their prey to move and if they’ve not ta…