Re: Can Plains Garter Snakes Eat Minnows? 05-06-2018, 08:40 AM #2. guidofatherof5. It has to be alive. Garter snakes, like all snakes, are carnivorous. Garter snakes do NOT eat insects! Snakes that are large enough to ingest a bird can easily kill the parents and then eat the eggs. Garter snakes, like all snakes, are carnivorous. Adult males and young females may eat hop-pers and large adult females may eat adult mice. As the others have stated, avoid red worms; since they are toxic. On 3/25/10, my 4-year-old niece found a "baby snake nest" at the park. For example, while the various races of the eastern garter snake eat worms, frogs, toads, salamanders, fish, gastropods, probably some insects and, in the west, nestling rodents, the diet of the short-headed garter snake seems to consist primarily of earthworms. And then i put them in a small case of water and he gobbles them up. If I feed the snake rosy red minnows and guppies is there anything else I should give the snake with it? The guy at the pet store said I could just feed it fish and it will be fine. Their diet consists of almost any creature they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms (nightcrawlers, as red wigglers are toxic to garter snakes), leeches, lizards, amphibians (including frog eggs), minnows, and rodents.When living near water, they will eat other aquatic animals. Some Garter snakes will eat earthworms, but not all of them will. pers, jumpers and adult mice. The garter snake is one of the most common snakes in North America and it can be found in all parts of Canada and Central US. Their diet consists of almost any creature they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms (nightcrawlers, as red wigglers are toxic to garter snakes), leeches, lizards, amphibians (including frog eggs), minnows, and rodents.When living near water, they will eat other aquatic animals. Some Garter snakes will eat earthworms, but not all of them will. Use regular minnows. I heard that you can feed a garter snake fish, and keep them on fish without feeding them mice. If u didn't like this video you might like others i post!! I want a garter snake, but my parents don't want me feeding it mice or rats, dead or alive. The problem is most minnows(Pimephales promelas ) carry a heavy parasite load and contain Thiaminase. And goldfish are bad for any reptile. Garter snakes do NOT eat insects! Larger birds, such as chickens, can be a food source for snakes large enough to coil around the bird. Garter snakes can, and have been known to - eat the following… Slugs, earthworms, leeches, lizards, amphibians, minnows & rodents. Baby garter snake - top view Baby garter snake - bottom view Baby garter snake - head close-up; you can see the deadly injury an inch down or so on the body. Due the fact that they live in colder temperatures, they do hibernate during winter. A few months later the symptoms of thiamine deficiency turned up. Being heterothermic, like all reptiles, Garter Snakes bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature. If your snake enjoys hunting a bit for his food, have you tried earthworms? They do not eat insects or fish. This might convince them to eat it. My Wandering Garter snake {Thamnophis elegans vagrans} will NOT eat earthworms, and even appears afraid of them. The largest snakes in the world can even eat pigs, deer, monkey, and livestock. to feed the snake, which I did, dutifully, a couple of times a week. They are also known to be partial to birds eggs. Can a Garter Snake live off of fish and insects? Other Food Garter snakes have been known to eat slugs and leeches in the wild. They will gladly eat them and eat as many as they can fit in. You can get those pretty cheap at bait stores and if you powder them they aren't too bad for your snake. ... Common Garter Snakes should eat both. Check out my channel! Every Monday and Thursday. ... Minnows and guppies are fine, as are baby mice if they will eat them. Water snakes also eat a variety of fish, ranging from small minnows up to large bass, depending on the snake's size. I do a variety of things that u might just want to see! They were 13 cents each so I am going to get some tomorrow, unless anyone was a better fish? Slugs are high in cal- As the others have stated, avoid red worms; since they are toxic. All of my other Water Snakes and Garter happily eat strips of fresh Salmon or Tilapia from the supermarket, which is human-quality food.