Picky eaters are not a patent for people. Pets are actually very picky eaters. In addition, people who currently keep pets regard pets as part of their own family, so they are also very accommodating in feeding. , so it's easy to develop a picky eating habit for pets! If it is a snake, will it eat roughly the same thing? Of course not, the raw materials for garter snakes should be raw and fresh , but garter snakes don't eat crickets! What should I pay attention to when feeding garter snakes?

food types

Earthworms - Earthworms are acceptable to many girdle snakes. However, there are many species that prefer aquatic habitats that do not feed on earthworms, such as black-necked girdle snakes, Santa Cruz girdle snakes, etc. Earthworms can be obtained from fish bait shops, fishing tackle shops, or even caught by themselves. Chopped earthworms can be a palatable food for larvae and even newborns.

(If you choose earthworms as food, you should soak them in water before feeding them, let them remove the garbage in their bodies, chop them up, and then feed them, but try not to feed earthworms, the safety index is extremely low , only for emergency use)

There are many kinds of small fish that are used as feed on the market for forage fish. When purchasing, you should pay attention to selecting individuals with no surface wounds and a plump appearance as a delicious meal for the garter snake. Before feeding, they should be raised for a period of time without food to empty the body of residual waste. Try not to feed wild caught fish, which may contain contaminants and parasites.

(Add some personal opinions here, in fact, you can go to the place that sells tropical fish, buy the most common and cheap guppies or other small ovoviviparous fish and raise them by yourself. Interested friends can breed them by themselves. As food for garter snakes, it is much safer to buy and feed them now)

Frozen and thawed fish – this method can solve the problem that fish may contain parasites. It is much safer to buy fish that are suitable for garter snake food, treat it and store it in the refrigerator for a week or more, take it out and thaw it with warm water when feeding it (thaw it thoroughly), and then feed it. (provided your snake will accept such food)

Frozen and thawed rats - some individuals will not accept rats. Young snakes can be lured by dismembered frozen suckling mice, and fish can be mixed with sucking mice to achieve the purpose of changing their eating habits.

Amphibians – Feeding amphibians is not a good idea, some amphibians are poisonous on the body or inside, and wild individuals have high levels of parasites, making feeding dangerous. Although garter snakes are very interested in amphibians, especially tadpoles and small frogs, they should also be avoided as much as possible. One way to reduce this risk is to buy bullfrogs back, process them, freeze them, thaw them when feeding, and cut them to size for feeding.

There is a huge misconception that needs to be pointed out right away - garter snakes eat insects. No matter who ever told you that girdle snakes eat insects, you shouldn't be confused because girdle snakes really don't eat insects. The people who put this wrong idea in the book should be punished - let them eat insects. In fact, garter snakes can't even digest insects properly.

Changing food types, just as people like different foods, providing your girdle snake with a variety of foods will definitely make it more robust. Prepare a variety of foods in advance, determine a feeding plan, and give different types of food at different times to absorb different nutrients.

(There are different opinions about the choice of food size. My opinion is not to feed too large food for personal needs. The width of the food should not exceed half the width of the snake's head. After all, it is too large. The food may cause stomatitis, increase the burden on the stomach and prolong the digestive cycle)