Feeding baby garters/cutting pinkies??

Today I picked up the first of two baby checkered garters I ordered and man, I was not expecting him to be THIS tiny! He’s maybe 8” and the circumference of a thick shoelace. I’ve researched plenty on feeding baby garters and have a colony of feeder guppies already in case he won’t take mice, but I’d like to try pinky parts first as that’s what I’d like them to be on long-term. That said, I didn’t exactly think through logistics of actually cutting up the pinkies... is it lengthwise? Just the head? He seems too large for just tails/legs at this point but definitely too small for a whole pinky. I know it’s a bit of a morbid question but I don’t really know how else to ask... if anyone with garter (or any small colubrid really) hatchling experience could weigh in I’d be grateful! Thanks!

I’ve cut length-wise before because I thought the pinkies girth was too big for the Garter. But I typically cut the pinky into 3 pieces - head and cut the body in half. Make sure you cut it while it’s frozen!

Also, nightcrawlers work well for Garters. If he doesn’t like mice you can mix them with cut up nightcrawlers and many times they’ll eat the mouse.


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I don't know if this is helpful or not, but my juvenile ratsnake loves to eat thawed rat tails!

I found this out by accident because I cut the tails off and wave them in front of the BP to test interest before thawing the whole rat (during a feeding strike). Not knowing what to do with them after that, I gave them to my ratsnake and she just gobbles them up.

When I have tiny hatchling that can't even eat a one day old pink I give them the head, cut it while frozen and let it thaw, keep the body and offer later when your snake can take larger preys.