I've had mine for about a year and a half now. It was my first snake and it happens to be a wild caught. The most disgusting animal I've ever owned but cool none the less. They eat small fish and I've heard worms also but never tried to feed her one yet. They eat every few days as opposed to once a week and they defecate about once a day it seems and they can be quite messy with it too. She hates to be handled so I only bother her during cage changings and what not. I would stick with ball pythons and other snakes like corns because they don't smell nearly as bad as the water snakes.