Baby garter snakes won't eat. Help?!

[d_virginiana]

but some seem to think its taboo.

Because it usually doesn't work and can do far more harm than good, especially when someone inexperienced or new to garters (or snakes in general) tries it. If the snake is on death's door, it may be the only way, but it shouldn't be viewed as anything but a last resort because of these potential dangers.

[ConcinusMan]

Very risky, yes.

[gibble888]

So what is the reason some babies wont eat then die? Genetics? Defect? In reality if they dont eat then die isnt that just help to reinforce the gene poole? If you breed a snake that doesnt want to eat wont it have some babies that dont want to eat?

[sasmon]

I felt as if I was facing a choice between life and death. He started developing erratic behavior and avoiding hides, and was frightfully small compared to his siblings. I figure if a new snakelet doesn't eat for two weeks, judging from the info I've seen on here, then that's to be expected. But just over a month seems dangerous. Granted, in the wild the lil guy probably would have been eaten by something or just died, but I wanted him to live. So I did what I did and he's alive. I hope he'll make it on his own from now on. Attached is a picture of him and his sibling for a size comparison.2013-09-19 11.39.39-2.jpg

[gibble888]

Wow he is tiny...good luck i hope he makes it

[ConcinusMan]

So what is the reason some babies wont eat then die? Genetics? Defect?

Your guess is a good as any other. Glad you got him eating, but in the context of good numbers of healthy siblings, having a few that do not make it, or in your case, just one(?)... personally I wouldn't bother coddling him but that's just me. He's probably always going to have development issues.

I had a T. radix just like this one. She did end up eating OK but still didn't grow normally. By the time she was 2, she was still 1/3 the size of her siblings and was plagued by stuck sheds. She eventually died anyway after all the effort to save her. The only reason I bothered at all is because she was cariad's offspring and double het for T- and t+ albino and I wanted to breed her to her half brother, a bright orange t- albino. Her dying was probably for the best if this problem had a genetic component.

[sasmon]

I get that. But he's so damn cute! I put the food in front of his mouth today and he opened right up and took it from me.
photo.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

That's great. I hope the eating continues.