i need help

[chris132]

i need to ask a few questions about my snake and i figured this is the best place to do so... i have a checkered garter sanke and it is still a baby. well there is something on her left eye and my husband said that it may be something from when she shed or hatched but i need to know what exactly it is and how to fix it.. next question is should she be eating goldfish or feeder guppies. how often should she eat. i will more than likely have more questions later. i am a first timer. please help.

[Darlene]

I'm not a garter snake person but I do know that bits of shed can be soaked off in water. We have a food for thought forum here also for feeder questions & also species specific forums where you may find some garter keepers to help you. Good luck. Dar.

[eyespy]

Goldfish are full of an enzyme called thiaminase that will break down the essential B vitamin thiamin and so should only be offered occasionally. Wait about 3 to 4 days for the goldfish to be totally digested and then give a liquid B vitamin supplement. Guppies, minnows, earthworms, frozen thawed fish fillets or canned tuna, salmon, or sardines packed in water not oil and dusted with calcium powder, canned cat food, and pinkie mice are all good food sources.

If she does take to eating pinkies, 1 or 2 a week is all the food she needs. If she's eating worms or fish, she should be fed 3 to 4 times a week as they are less "nutrient dense" and a lot of it just gets pooped away.

[SCReptiles]

Get a bottle of mineral oil from your local wal-mart. Use a q-tip and treat the covered eye with the oil. What you probably have is an eye cap, with is simply unshed skin over the eye. The oil should bring it right off.

[Removed_2815]

Yes, these are all good responses. I thought I might give you a little piece of information regarding Thamnophis and that is they are all viviparous. This means that your snake never hatched, as your husband suggested, but was born live.
Just thought you would be interested to know :)
Cheers,
Ryan

[chris132]

I want to thank you for the help. I will try the oil on her eye but should it go directly on her eye??

[Smilts]

I would like to say i never said her snake was hatched.