Garter feeding styles, by species

[KITKAT]

When your garter is fishing in its bowl for live fish, what style of hunting does he use?

YouTube - Garter snake hunting style part 1

Here is a T elegans vagrans, showing the head thrashing side to side, mouth open. I assume the fish are detected by sensory contact.

[Elliot]

My ribbons both hover over the fish, flickering their tounges, then when they seem satisfied they strike at the fish and usually catch them first try, no thrashing underwater though.

[KITKAT]

Here is my sirtalis girl, making sure she got all her fish. Same basic style of hunting as my wanderings...

YouTube - Garter snake hunting style part 2

And last, but not least... here is my Red Sided girl. She has a different style of hunting! She hovers above the dish, takes a good look, then LUNGES! She rarely misses...

YouTube - Garter snake hunting style part 3

[KITKAT]

Just for fun... here is how my pickeringii prefer to feed!

YouTube - Garter snake hunting style part 4

[Stefan-A]

Only got my garters to display any kind of fishing behavior once, when the f/t fish fell in the water bowl. It too was thrashing side to side with its mouth open.

[Lee]

My wanderings thrash back and forth with mouth open, unless the feeders are large and they can strike them from under water one time...

BTW, what kind of fish are you using in those vids? I need something better than rosies/goldfish.

[KITKAT]

My wanderings thrash back and forth with mouth open, unless the feeders are large and they can strike them from under water one time...

BTW, what kind of fish are you using in those vids? I need something better than rosies/goldfish.

I have an excellent local bait store, as I live near a large reservoir. I get Crappie minnows that are intended for fishing with as bait. I bring them home, feed half a dozen per snake, and freeze the rest for the next two week's feedings.

I find that the "fishy smell" of the minnows will drive most garters wild with desire!

[flakgunner]

hey,
I get my fish ,from the bait shop,I go with med. roaches,my Indo Gartersnake will only eat fish and the Western Plains takes these along with nightcrawlers,they both go into the water,mouth wide open and thrash back and forth,until one touches their mouth,then chomp!

Joe

[adamanteus]

These days I only use frozen/thawed fish. But in the past I've seen the same snake use both methods of fishing.....hover and strike, and thrash about wildly. Bless!

[drache]

I read in Strumpfbandnatters that T. atratus in the wild bait fish with their tongues
that's pretty cool
has anyone seen that in captivity?