What Do Garter Snakes Eat?

Garter snakes are one of the most commonly encountered snakes in North America, and they are remarkably adaptable when it comes to their diet. Unlike many snakes that specialize in eating just rodents or just eggs, garter snakes are opportunistic feeders that will eat a wide variety of prey depending on what is available in their environment.

Whether you have spotted a garter snake in your garden and are curious about what it is hunting, or you are considering keeping one as a pet and need to know what to feed it, this guide covers everything about the garter snake diet in the wild and in captivity.

What Garter Snakes Eat in the Wild

In the wild, garter snakes eat an impressively varied diet. Their primary food sources include earthworms, slugs, frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, salamanders, and insects. Some larger garter snake species also eat small mice, bird eggs, leeches, and even other small snakes. This dietary flexibility is one of the reasons garter snakes are so successful across such a wide geographic range.

Earthworms are probably the single most important food item for most garter snake species. They are abundant, easy to catch, and nutritious. If you see a garter snake in your garden, there is a good chance it is there specifically because of the worms in your soil. This makes garter snakes genuinely beneficial for gardeners since they help control pest populations.

Amphibians are another major part of the garter snake diet, especially for snakes that live near water. Frogs, toads, and their tadpoles are eagerly consumed. Some garter snake species have even developed a resistance to the toxic skin secretions of toads, allowing them to eat prey that would make other predators sick. This adaptation gives them access to a food source that most other snakes avoid.

How Garter Snakes Hunt

Unlike ambush predators that sit and wait for prey to come to them, garter snakes are active hunters that move through their habitat searching for food. They use their forked tongue to pick up scent particles from the air and ground, following chemical trails to locate prey. Their eyesight is decent for a snake, and they can detect movement quite well.

When a garter snake finds prey, it strikes quickly and grabs the animal in its jaws. They do not constrict their prey like pythons or boas. Instead, they simply grab it and start swallowing while the prey is still alive. For slippery prey like fish and frogs, their mild venom helps slow the animal down enough to swallow it. The venom is delivered through rear fangs and is not dangerous to humans.

Garter snakes are surprisingly fast when chasing prey. They can move quickly through grass, leaf litter, and even shallow water in pursuit of a meal. Their speed and agility allow them to catch active prey like frogs and fish that slower snakes would not be able to capture.

Feeding Garter Snakes in Captivity

If you keep a garter snake as a pet, providing a varied diet similar to what they would eat in the wild is the best approach. The staple diet for most captive garter snakes consists of earthworms (nightcrawlers from a bait shop), cut pieces of fish fillet (tilapia and salmon are popular choices), and frozen thawed pinky mice for larger individuals.

Earthworms are the easiest and most natural food option. Most garter snakes eat them eagerly, and they provide good nutrition. Cut larger worms into pieces for smaller snakes. Offer two to three appropriately sized worms per feeding for adults, adjusting based on the snake’s size and appetite.

Fish fillets should be from thiaminase free species. Tilapia and salmon are both good choices. Avoid fish high in thiaminase like goldfish and certain minnows, as a diet heavy in these fish can cause vitamin B1 deficiency over time. If you do feed thiaminase containing fish occasionally, supplement with a reptile vitamin to prevent nutritional problems.

Feeding Schedule

Adult garter snakes should be fed every five to seven days. Juveniles that are still growing benefit from more frequent feedings, about every three to four days. Baby garter snakes (less than six months old) can be fed every two to three days since they are growing rapidly and have high metabolic rates.

Garter snakes have faster metabolisms than many other pet snakes like ball pythons or corn snakes, which means they eat more frequently. This higher feeding frequency also means they produce waste more often, so regular enclosure cleaning is important to maintain good hygiene and prevent health problems.

A healthy garter snake should eat eagerly at each feeding. If your snake suddenly stops eating, check the enclosure temperatures (garter snakes need a warm side around 85 degrees Fahrenheit and a cool side around 70 degrees), make sure the humidity is appropriate, and look for any signs of illness. A brief fast of a week or two is not unusual, but prolonged refusal to eat warrants a vet visit.

Foods to Avoid

Do not feed your garter snake wild caught amphibians or insects, as these can carry parasites that will infect your snake. Feeder fish from pet stores can also carry parasites and should be used with caution. Any fish you feed should be fresh, not previously frozen and thawed multiple times, and not seasoned or processed in any way.

Avoid feeding your garter snake exclusively on one type of food. A diet of only fish can lead to thiamine deficiency, while a diet of only mice can lead to obesity because mice are higher in fat than the natural garter snake diet. Variety is key to keeping your snake healthy and ensuring they get a complete range of nutrients.

Never feed your garter snake anything from your own kitchen that has been cooked, seasoned, or processed. Raw, unseasoned food items only. Also avoid feeding prey that is too large. A good rule of thumb is that prey items should be no wider than 1.5 times the width of the snake’s head at its widest point. Understanding how big your garter snake is helps you choose appropriate prey sizes.