Kurly ate his first Pinky!!!!!

[drache]

fish is more complete than worm when it comes to nutrients
some fish can also deplete your snake of certain nutrients
there is an article on it in the care-sheets section:
http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets...?title=Thiamin,

[enigma200316]

Congrats...............

[drache]

oh, I forgot
congrats on your little one taking to rodent

[Kurly1]

Thanks. We were lucky in that he made the switch so easy. He ate that first one and it's been smooth sailing ever since. I'm glad that we decided to make the switch since it is nutritionally better for him. Plus, as someone else has already stated, the poo is not as messy or smelly

[GarterGuy]

Hey congrats on getting your garter to take pinks. One thing to be aware of though, is that although pinks are a really good food, they do tend to be low in calcium. I would recomend that every third feeding or so, dust the pink with a calcium supplement so this doesn't become a problem.

Roy

[Kurly1]

Hmmm, this is the first time I have heard that. I was always told that pinkies provide everything a snake needs and that it wasn't necessary to give it any supplements once you start feeding them pinkies.

Of course if I need to do that for the snake to remain as healthy as possible then I will have no problem doing so.

[GarterGuy]

OK, had to look up where I heard that from. The Lizard Keepers Handbook by Philipe de Vosjoli..in the chapter on feeding he states "Mice are nutritious, but when only one or two days old they are also calcium deficient for lizards (unless they are offered very soon after removal from the mother)." I imagine that if very young pinks are offered, like the ones given to young snakes, that they should be occasionally supplemented. Especially since young snakes are growing quite a bit and their calcium needs would be high. If you're using older, bigger pinks or fuzzies, I imagine it's not so much an issue. I know the info. is for lizards, but I imagine snakes really aren't all that different. Anyways, for my little ones on pinks, I supplement with calcium every third feeding and for my older, smaller garters on pinks, I go once a month.

Roy

[drache]

I often wonder about this kind of info
I mean, all this stuff about nutritional superiority of foods they'd hardly eat in the wild - despite the lack of which they don't end up deformed like some of the animals we see in captivity
if newborns and babies live on small slugs, worms and tadpoles in the wild, shouldn't pinkie bones be quite a step up from that in calcium supply?
I mean, they do have bones, however soft, unlike above prey

[chloe]

I have been wondering about that as well Rhea. How do they get sufficient calcium supply in the wild?

[adamanteus]

I think sometimes people are inclined to over emphasize the calcium issue...it is needed, of course, but not in huge quantities. Where do you get yours, Chloe? When did you last gnaw on a bone?

Of course in the wild Garters eat a lot of amphibians...even quite small amphibians have well developed skeletons.