Anything other than mice?

StuDude · 03-16-12, 07:24 AM

My Mom (and I) was wondering if corn snakes could eat anything other than MICE. something that is dead (not dead mice), maybe raw ground beef. I told her they probably wouldn't eat that, but I need more food options. That is one of the reasons that she wont let me get one...

SnakeyJay · 03-16-12, 07:28 AM

I'm afraid snakes may not be for you then.. Almost all snakes need WHOLE prey items as this gives them the mix of protein, fats n nutrients that they need... Garters can be fed worms etc and there's egg eating snakes but it can be hard to get the right eggs for them... There's no substituting food for snakes I'm afraid. Not healthy

If you have 5?! Wild caught snakes then you should have an idea about this already.

youngster · 03-16-12, 07:30 AM

Jamie is right. There's rats, but that not much different.

Definitely not, it's the reason you don't need to add vitamin and calcium supplements to snakes' food like you do with many lizards.

StuDude · 03-16-12, 07:31 AM

at this moment I only have 2, and yes, I had a wc corn snake that I fed mice.

SnakeyJay · 03-16-12, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuDude

at this moment I only have 2, and yes, I had a wc corn snake that I fed mice.

But if you've had 5 then you should know some basics like what corns can n can not eat.. Not meant to be insulting but it's the animals health that's priority, not what we'd prefer to feed them. Maybe a hognose snake? They can eat small lizards, however this can become costly compared to mice, and obviously may bring parasites in if you catch lizards to feed the hoggie.

StuDude · 03-16-12, 07:38 AM

what kind of snakes eat eggs, and what eggs do they eat? chicken eggs? lizard eggs? frog eggs?

SnakeyJay · 03-16-12, 07:40 AM

Google egg eating snakes... I think quail eggs and other really small eggs is what they eat.. Can be hard to find somewhere that sells the eggs... Chicken eggs are too big I believe.

alessia55 · 03-16-12, 07:43 AM

No, corn snakes should only be fed mice or appropriately sized rats.

Also... if you've had WC snakes before... didn't your parents seen you feed them mice? What's the difference now?

KORBIN5895 · 03-16-12, 07:50 AM

Maybe he had to release them because of the mice thing and if he wants one he has to get something that doesn't eat rodents.

infernalis · 03-16-12, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alessia55

No, corn snakes should only be fed mice or appropriately sized rats.

Also... if you've had WC snakes before... didn't your parents seen you feed them mice? What's the difference now?

There are a couple options.

Garter snakes do fine on fish and worms (Their natural diet anyways) and Dekayi or red belly snakes feed exclusively on worms, snails and slugs.

I teach my garters to take mice, it's not their first food choice.

Tropical snakes I would not recommend, for instance the Cylophiops Major of Asia eats worms, but have very tricky husbandry requirements, and all specimens sold in the USA are wild caught in Asia and shipped here as pets, nearly all of them die in the first year.

Valvaren · 03-16-12, 08:13 AM

I'm still going to say I think you should put aside the idea of owning a snake for now until you can BUY one. This way you can get whatever you want and be able to feed it what it needs.

I know a lot of people on here say its how they got into the hobby and how they got where they are but I honestly feel like it isn't the best idea right now, at least not for the snake, and in my honest opinion that should matter above all else.

infernalis · 03-16-12, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valvaren

I'm still going to say I think you should put aside the idea of owning a snake for now until you can BUY one. This way you can get whatever you want and be able to feed it what it needs.

I know a lot of people on here say its how they got into the hobby and how they got where they are but I honestly feel like it isn't the best idea right now, at least not for the snake, and in my honest opinion that should matter above all else.

So naive to assume that garter snakes are not captive bred....

Valvaren · 03-16-12, 08:32 AM

His parents rule it he has to catch something, he cannot buy it. And i'm not naive I'm quite aware of your vast collection and breeding projects, i've read most of your threads and am quite aware of a lot of the animals you've had past.

I'm fairly certain I even stated in one of the threads concerning your collection that I wish to buy from you.

KORBIN5895 · 03-16-12, 08:39 AM

I so want a garter this year! I may have to drive down to pick one up.

Valvaren · 03-16-12, 08:41 AM

Infernalis : http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/field...ld-snakes.html

OP

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuDude

I really do like snakes, and I want a Corn snake, but my parents say I cant buy one. the only snakes I'm allowed to have are the ones I find in the wild. I know some of you people are against keeping wild snakes, but I REALLY want a corn snake. Any ideas of how and where to catch one?

Edit : I didn't take what the OP meant as his Mother would let him buy one if it didn't eat worms, I took it as he could catch and keep one if it didn't eat mice, the following post up until that point had been about his WC animals.

I apologize for my goof but think this will be my last post on this forum.