Here is a common list of things a garden (garter) snake enjoys to eat on a regular basis:
- Toads
- Small Birds
- Fish
- Eggs
- Earthworms
- Leeches
- Rabbits, Mice (other small rodents)
- Slugs & Snails
- Frog spawn, frogs and tadpoles
- Ants & other insects
- Small Reptiles (ex: lizards)
How often should I Feed my snake?
While this little question can be quite confusing these are the methods that I practice:
- If your snake is between 0-9 months old feed an appropriately sized* item every 5 days.
- If your snake is between 9-12 months feed an appropriately sized* item every 6 days.
- If your snake is between 1-3 years feed it an appropriately sized* item every 10 days
- If your snake is over 3 years feed it an appropriately sized* item every 14 days.
What can you feed snakes Besides rodents?
What This Article Covers
- Species of snakes that can eat other prey items
- Alternative food options for rodent-eating snakes
- Snake species that take prepared food
What should you feed your pet snake?
- Let the frozen rodent thaw completely and warm up to room temperature.
- You can use feeding forceps to hold the thawed rodent in front of the snake and wiggle it around as though the prey is moving. ...
- Scent is something else to consider. Some snakes like certain scents, like frogs or chicken, and you can use this to your advantage. ...
How often do you have to feed snakes?
- This can also be called “worms” for the snake, which are normal in reptiles. ...
- You must take your snake to your vet to perform a “fecal direct smear” or a floatation.
- It is advised to have this procedure done every year to ensure there is nothing going on with your snake’s intestines.
What can I feed a small garden snake?
A young garter snake that is not eating pinky mice or pinky parts may be fed a combination of earthworms (cut into appropriately sized pieces if the snake is small and the worm is big), feeder guppies or platies and, if the snake will accept it, pieces of fish fillet.
What does garden snakes eat?
Often called “gardener snakes,” they earn that name by eating grasshoppers, slugs, grubs, and other insects. A large adult garter snake may even eat mice. (Unfortunately, they also eat some critters such as frogs, toads, salamanders, and earthworms.) To eat large prey, they unhinge their jaw from their skull.
What human food can you feed a snake?
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.
How do I keep my garden snake alive?
0:522:44How to Take Care of a Garter Snake | Pet Snakes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what you have to do is the smaller ones will eat a few earthworms. And they'll eat every few daysMoreSo what you have to do is the smaller ones will eat a few earthworms. And they'll eat every few days now earthworms are not very nutritious. They're deficient in calcium. So. If the garter snake is
Can you keep a garden snake as a pet?
While garter snakes are abundant in the wild, especially around bodies of water, such as lakes and streams, in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Central America, these wild animals should not be kept as pets, as they are illegal to take from their natural habitats in most locales.
What do garden 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.
What can I feed my snake besides mice?
The most popular pet snakes usually eat prey such as mice, rats, gerbils, and hamsters. Larger pet snakes also eat whole rabbits.
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 snakes not eat?
Do not feed eggs, fish, insects, or other foods to snakes that do not have those items in their diet in the wild. Also, be sure to stick to a feeding schedule so that your snake doesn't overeat.
What do baby garden snakes eat?
Garter snakes benefit from a varied diet to ensure proper nutrition. Juvenile snakes can eat a combination of feeder guppies, minnows, earthworms and fish fillet pieces; feed the juvenile snakes every other day. Mature snakes should eat small rodents, such as mice or pinkies, but they only need food once a week.
Can you feed garter snakes worms?
A note about earthworms. This is the food that most pet garter snakes will usually eat, even finicky eaters, especially when they're young. Keep in mind that they'll have to eat a lot of them to get the full nutritional value, and that earthworms are calcium deficient—and may carry some parasites as well.
Do garter snakes drink water?
Garter snakes need a water dish to both drink water from and to soak in. Pick a bowl that is large and shallow. Make sure that the water dish in the enclosure is always filled with enough fresh water for the snake to soak. Change the water every day.
How do garden snakes hunt?
They find their prey using their good sense of smell. They use various hunting methods such as ambushing, craning and peering, in order to capture the prey. They immobilize their prey with their sharp teeth and quick reflexes. Their saliva may be slightly toxic to some of their smaller prey. These snakes swallow their food whole. If the prey is small, it is immediately swallowed alive. If the prey is large, the garden snake unhinges its jaws to ease swallowing. With this ability, the garden snake can swallow a wide variety of prey.
What is a garden snake?
Garter snakes, commonly known as ‘garden snakes’, belong to the family Colubridae. They are commonly found in North America. They are also referred to as ‘gardener snakes’. They, like all other snakes, are carnivorous. They are opportunistic feeders. Generally, they tend to eat whatever they can easily overpower.
Can a garden snake be a pet?
They, therefore, make good pets. However, venomous or not, it is never a good idea to keep reptiles as pets in households that have small children.
Can toads eat eggs?
They are opportunistic feeders. Generally, they tend to eat whatever they can easily overpower. They are immune to the toxic skin secretions of toads and, therefore, can eat toads without any harm. Mostly, they catch live prey. However, they may eat eggs and carrion, especially if live prey is not easily available..
Do garden snakes swallow their food?
They immobilize their prey with their sharp teeth and quick reflexes. Their saliva may be slightly toxic to some of their smaller prey. These snakes swallow their food whole. If the prey is small, it is immediately swallowed alive. If the prey is large, the garden snake unhinges its jaws to ease swallowing.
What are some tactics that garden snakes use to catch their prey?
In order for garden snakes to catch their prey they will use a variety of hunting tactics such as craning and peering and ambush.
When do snakes hunt?
Small Reptiles (ex: lizards) Garden snakes love to hunt during the early evening, late afternoon and early mornings when the temperature is generally warmer. They use their great sense of smell to find their prey.
What do foxes eat?
What this means is that they will eat what they can easily find and catch. For the most part they enjoy catching live prey and they will even eat toads as they are immune to their toxic skin. When live prey is not easily found they will also feed on carrion and eggs.
Can a child have a garden snake?
However if you have small children in the house it is best to avoid owning a garter/garden snake as they can bite kids if not properly handled. It is usually very rare a child will know how to properly handle a garden snake and therefore it is just a bad idea overall.
Can a garden snake swallow its prey?
If a garden snake can it will immediately swallow its live prey whole otherwise it will unhinge its jaw and slowly swallow larger prey. Since they have the ability to unlock their jaw they have a large variety of prey they can swallow. The great thing about garden snakes is that for the most part they are harmless to humans ...
What vitamins do snakes need?
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.
What fish are safe for garter snakes?
In contrast fish such as pollock, haddock, cod, salmon and trout are considered safe for garter snakes as they lack the thiaminase.
Why won't my garter snake eat?
In general, garter snakes are 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 food that is on offer. In this case you will have to try it on different foods.
Why is my snake a B1 deficiency?
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.
Can mice feed garter snakes?
Mice not only offer all the nutrients that your snake needs but they’re also cheap and easy to source from any good reptile shop. Coming in a range of different sizes, they’re suitable for almost all garter snakes, though tiny hatchlings may struggle to swallow pinkies.
Do snakes explode when eaten?
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.
Can garter snakes eat earthworms?
Earthworms are a good choice in this situation. Lastly some garter snakes won’t eat if being watched. In this case you probably won’t have much luck if you dangle the food in front of it. It is better that you put the food in a bowl and leave your snake to eat at leisure. Author.