Quote Originally Posted by Zephyr View Post
then why do they not get impacted?
well... if you think about it... ingestion of dirt really shouldnt cause impaction... it's dirt! its soft and squishy and becomes even moreso when it's wet (as it would be inside a snake) and don't forget... the worms the snake is eating are full of soil and nutrient rich dead organic material! So I doubt soil ingestion would cause impaction. As for a dietary supplement... should'nt the stuff inside the worms be enough dirt if they need it? Worms eat the good mineral rich stuff anyways. Impaction usually results from aciidentally eating something like wood chips or something more rigid and indigestible that ends up getting stuck. Ever happen to notice how if there's something such as soil or a peice of anything stuck to their meal they try wiping it clean before they swallow the rest?

Oh yea, and what about the more aquatic thamnophis that feed primarily on fish? Fish don't have any dirt on them as most of the time they are swallowed in the water. I personally do not think that putting soil on your snake's food is going to hurt, but i don't think it will have much in the way of benefits. Besides you -never- know if something not-good has found its way somehow into the soil and that you are actually doing more harm than good. Until someone proves it 100% beneficial, I personally will not start feeding my garters dirty things

It's a good question you raised though!