pinkie

[mrodge]

how big to garter snakes have to be to eat pinkie mice
i caught a decent garter today and hes real cool

[melbatoast]

How big is yours? You could always try and if it doesn't eat it, then try something else. Or try another day to give it a pinkie.

I'd wait at least a week tho, if you just got it to try and feed it. That way, it can get used to it's new home.

It still amazes me how a snake can eat something so much larger then it's head lol!

[sapphire_moon]

umm, I thought garters were insect eaters?

so how are you going to keep it since it is wc? take it to a vet to get it deparasited (is that even a word? lol), and stuff like that..

[Shad0w]

Garters eat all kinds of things... In the wild Ive seen them eat fish, worms, snails to name a few... and Ive also heard of keepers getting them on small mice

[Sean_.E.]

I dont know where you are located but it may be illegal to collect/keep native species in your area. Why dont you release it and buy yourself a C.B. snake, instead? A captive bred snake will fair much better in captivity.

[HeatherRose]

I agree with Sean.

In some places, catching and keeping native wildlife is illegal. It also could bring in parasites or other ailments that can affect your collection, so why disturb the native wildlife? It has a right to hang out in its natural habitat without people taking it home.

[melbatoast]

Just thought I'd point out that ALL captive bread snakes are descended from wild caught ones.

[HeatherRose]

Yup, they sure are.

You can get CB anywhere now, so why go rip one from the wild? It comes with too many risks, let alone it's illegal.

[concept3]

Try feeder goldfish from the petstore, Im sure he will take those easier than pinkies, but you can always try the mouse first.

[jaracas]

Originally posted by HeatherRose
It comes with too many risks, let alone it's illegal.

well, actually, thats not entirely true.

IF mrodge lives in Ontario, IF he has a small game licence, IF it's a Common Garter, IF its not against his local municipal laws he's quite within his rights to do so.

http://www.ontarioherpers.org/laws/


Although reading the post again i guess he isn't anywhere in Canada! lol, i would love to find somewhere to photograph local herps but the weather is against that at this time.

[HeatherRose]

Sorry, my mistake.

I still am of the opinion that that does NOT make it okay.

[mrodge]

well for one thing the weatehr around my house was so warm and then it went back to below freezing, so it didnt have anywhere to go, because it usually swam in water, it was going to die out there in the cold, it came out because it was warm and then it went back to the dead of winter, i had to do soemhting, even a wildlife expert said it was unusal for it to be out. and its not illegal in my state

[zero&stich]

Instead of keeping it yourself, I would look into at some sort of wildlife rehab, and bring the snake there, so they can properally re-release it, and take care of it in such a way that it learns to STILL fear humans, since it was a wild speciman. If it get's used to humans, when you release it, it's at even at more risk of not surviving. Bringing the snake to a respectable wildlife rehabilitation center would be a better interest for the snake and not the keeper. If it was CB, it would obviousally be a different senario.

Just my .02. I'm actually not one to preach, as I used to collect native garters as young kid and didn't know it was illegal, whoops.

[mrodge]

k
well you guys are right, i just handed it over to a kid i know who works at cedar run, a wildlife refuge and he siad it had a few broekn ribs