Garter Diet Question

[adamanteus]

I thought Xenopus were toxic to snakes, causing oral dyskenesia? You mention in a previous post that most Garters wouldn't encounter trout or salmon in nature.... but Xenopus?

[GradStudentLeper]

I thought Xenopus were toxic to snakes, causing oral dyskenesia? You mention in a previous post that most Garters wouldn't encounter trout or salmon in nature.... but Xenopus?

*looks up literature..* Why yes. Yes they do. Amend. Do NOT feed Xenopus to snakes. Granted until I saw how dirt cheap lab raised Xenopus were, it never occured to me to even think of using them for the very reason that the snakes might not even recognize them as food. So, I stand corrected there. The rest of the point stands however. Even the bullfrog tadpoles that you can get in bulk are cheaper than mice, and more palatable to just about any natricine (some fish specialist nerodia need not apply)