Help Identifying These?

[EasternGirl]

I don't think so David. She probably prefers earthworms because she is an eastern garter...easterns live primarily on earthworms in the wild. My easterns love them...but they learned to love pinkies and fish too in time. Try giving your snake a warm soak. Put her in some warm water for a couple of minutes...warm but not too hot for her...you can put her in a little bowl and just make sure she doesn't jump out...let her swim around a little...see if it helps her skin at all.

[PINJOHN]

Welcome from a sunny but freezing Liverpool



TODAY'S SCOUSE FACTOID
1791 - Liverpool opened the worlds First school for blind people (Commutation Row, and later London Road
1898 -Liverpool became the first city in the world to appoint a Municipal Bacteriologist.

[DMilms]

Ive let her swim around in warm water but it did nothing. The vent area didnt clear up and the black dots didnt dissapear. Could it just be that she hasnt shed in forever and when she does it will go away?
ThAnk you, david

[EasternGirl]

Maybe...where are you David? Any chance you have access to a reptile veterinarian?

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I wouldn't worry too much about the discoloration at this time i think once she sheds it will go away. As long as you keep her enclosure dry and clean it should go away. I also think that she is an eastern garter. I don't know if i would mist her for awhile because she may be getting too much humidity. I might would be more cautious with the crusty vent because like Steve said she could be dehydrated. I would stick with a softer diet like worms for a week or so to help aid with the dehydration. I would also like to add that moss is a great and natural looking decor but if kept too wet can become a breeding ground for bacteria if you use moss you might want to replace it often.

[DMilms]

Im a bit confused, i change her water regularly, i mist her enclosure, and yet she is dehydtrated. shouldn't i mist MORE often, so that it is more humid. i rarely see her swim or drink in her bowl, which she is " supposed" to do, cause she is a garter . what else other than worms as a diet should i use for her?, and should i give her small chunks, or nice sections so she could eat it in one big bite?
thank you, David

[EasternGirl]

There is a balance to humidity. A good humidity level is around 50%....but that is hard to have in the winter and in dry places. My humidity rarely goes above 30 or 40%. If your humidity is not over 60%, I would not worry about too much humidity. Do you have a humidity gauge? She may be drinking more often than you think...she may come out to drink when you are not looking. My young garter, Hermes, does not drink in front of me. Some garter snakes do not swim much. Dehydration is only a possibility. She may not be dehydrated. Are there any veterinarians that work with reptiles where you are?

I think it is better to feed in small chunks instead of bigger pieces. It is easier for the snake to swallow and digest small pieces. Fresh fish fillet like salmon, trout, or tilapia is good to feed. Frozen and thawed pinky mice are also good to feed. Buy fresh fish fillet at a seafood shop if you can. Do not cook it. Feed it to the snake uncooked. Frozen pinky mice can be purchased at pet stores. You must thaw them before feeding them to your snake.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Sorry to confuse you David. She may or may not be dehydrated but a crusty vent sometimes indicates dehydration. What i would do if she was my snake is soak her in luke warm water a few minutes each day for 3 or 4 days to help if she is dehydrated and keep her cage dry and clean to help aid with the skin alements see if kept damp or humid it could cause the discoloration to spread or become infected.I don't think you have to worry about the discoloration at this time because a shed should fix it but you also don't want to let it get worse. I would feed her worms for a few days because they are soft and moist and easy to digest and pass and if she is dehydrated it would be easier on her but in a few days when things go back to normal i would start her back on pinkies. I hope this helps.

[DMilms]

i have a zilla humidity and temp gauge, the digital one, and the lowest it goes is 30%. sometimes, the humidity dips above 30, but it usually is not reading, which means under 30%, which is why i mist, then it goes up to like 70ish. ill feed her smaller pieces of worms, btw, nightcrawlers are fine, right? also when i soaked her the other day, the crusty material around the vent seemed to be almost tissuey, so im still trying to figure it out. when i put her into water, she "freaks" then climbs out, so i dont know why that happens. she ate yesterday, so should i give her another bath, or wait till tommorow to give her one?
btw, does anybody ever have problems posting with google chrome?

[EasternGirl]

70% is pretty high humidity...but since it is not up like that all the time, I would not worry about it. Nightcrawlers are the worms you want to feed her, yes. Take a warm, wet cloth and try to gently rub it over the vent area to see if the crusty material will come off. Maybe it is some retained shed? Do you have any antibiotic ointment such as neosporin or polysporin? You could put a little of that on the vent area in case it is an infection. Some garter snakes do not like water. My eastern garters freak out when I try to get them to swim too. If she ate worms yesterday and she pooped since then, it is probably fine to give her a bath today. Are there any animal doctors where you live? I don't know anything about Google Chrome...sorry.