Like most snakes, garter snakes are generalist carnivores that eat a wide variety of other prey. They aren’t very picky about what they eat and will prey on almost any animal they can catch and swallow whole.
Garter snakes eat frogs that are small enough to fit into their mouths. In general, amphibians tend to make up a significant part of most garter snakes diets.
Apart from frogs, garter snakes also eat toads, newts, snails, leeches, earthworms, small fish, birds, and even small mammals such as mice and shrews.
Garter Snakes Eat Small Frogs
Garter snakes are opportunistic predators with very diverse diets. They will eat almost any creature they can easily overpower and swallow whole.
Their diet includes earthworms, leeches, snails, insects, lizards, baby birds, mice, shrews, and even other snakes.
Garter snakes will also eat frogs, toads, and other amphibians. They seem immune to the toxic skin secretions of many frog and toad species and can eat them without harm.
Garter snakes that live near marshes, ponds, streams, or other wetlands, also eat aquatic animals such as crayfish, tadpoles, and small fish.
Almost prey is they catch and is small enough to fit into their mouths, it is on the menu.
These snakes adapt to eating whatever they can find in their environments.
Some Garter Snake Species Eat Frogs More Than Others
Although all garter snakes eat frogs, some garter snake species tend to lean towards a diet of frogs, more than others.
For example, common ribbon snakes (Thamnophis saurita), seem to favor eating frogs, salamanders, and tadpoles, over other animals in their environments.
They especially target young frogs, which are more vulnerable than adults.
How Garter Snakes Find and Catch Frogs
Garter snakes catch and eat frogs the same way they eat other prey animals.
They find frogs by using their good vision and sense of smell.
1. Vision
Garter snakes, like many other snake species, have excellent vision.
They have an amazing ability to detect the movement of frogs or any other prey.
If a frog is moving in the grass and a garter snake is nearby, the snake can use its vision to detect the frog by its movement.
These snakes often see prey by peering or craning to get a better view of their surroundings.
2. Smell
Although snakes have nostrils, they do not use them to smell. Instead, they smell by using their tongues.
A garter snake can sniff out the scent of a frog by flicking its tongue through the air.
The tongue then picks up molecules the and these molecules reach a part of the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson’s organ.
This organ helps de-code the molecules into different smells.
Garter snakes have an excellent sense of smell and can sniff out frogs, salamanders, or any other prey animals.
How Do Garter Snakes Eat Frogs?
Once a garter snake spots a frog, using either its vision or sense of small, it will capture it by stalking, ambushing, or actively chasing it. These snakes are active hunters.
The snake will then immobilize the frog using its sharp teeth, and swallow it whole.
Unlike many snake species, garter snakes garter snakes do not constrict their prey, and instead swallow it live.
The saliva of some garter snake species, may be slightly toxic to some of their prey. This makes it easier to handle them, as they are being swallowed.
Garter Snakes Also Eat Poisonous Frogs
As earlier mentioned, garter snakes often eat poisonous frogs and toads that would harm most predators, and seem immune to their toxic skin secretions.
Garter snakes are even known to feast of highly toxic rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa), which posses a neurotoxin known as tetrodotoxin (TTX), that is also found in puffer fish.
A single rough skinned newt has enough toxin to kill 20 people, yet some how garter snakes are resistant to the toxin, and survive eating these newts.
Large Frogs Sometimes Eat Garter Snakes
While garter snakes can eat spiders, some large species of frogs such as American bullfrogs prey on garter snakes.
Frogs in general are not picky eaters and will eat almost anything that passes in front of them – as long as they can fit it into their mouths.
They will eat scorpions and spiders, and larger species will eat rodents, bats, fish, birds, lizards, and even each other!
Garter snakes are often common in the range of the American bullfrog, and juvenile snakes may be preyed on.
Can Captive Garter Snakes Be Fed Frogs?
Most hobbyists don’t feed frogs to their garter snakes because it is somewhat impractical.
It’s usually cheaper, faster, and easier to feed rodents, worms, fish, and other feeders that can be found in pet stores.
The key to a healthy diet for a captive garter snake is variety.
In the wild, garters eat fish, worms, birds, small mammals, and other prey, and they should also be given a varied diet in captivity.
In general, it is recommended to feed your garter snake frozen/thawed foods, rather than live prey.
Here is a list of things you can feed a captive garter snake:
- Mice
- Nightcrawlers
- Guppies and other small freshwater fish (such as comet goldfish)
Like all snakes, garter snakes are carnivorous and need to eat whole animal prey in order the full nutrition.
The most appropriate food will depend on the species of the snake.
Some species won’t eat earthworms, and some won’t eat mice. Also, some individuals are just more picky.
Prey items for your snake must be purchased from a pet shop, and not collected from outside. Wild prey may have parasites that can harm your snake.
Regarding the size of the prey, a good rule of thumb is to never give a snake prey that is wider than its width at mid-body.
For example, a garter snake that is 1 inch in diameter at the midsection should be fed prey no wider than 1 inch.
Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) should never be fed to captive snakes because they exude a noxious fluid and are toxic to many animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a garter snake eat a frog? A garter snake can eat a frog if it is small enough to fit in the mouth and swallow whole. Some garter snake species seem to favor eating frogs and other amphibians over other types of prey.
Do garter snakes eat toads? Garter snakes eat toads they can catch and swallow whole. These snakes often eat poisonous frogs and seem to be immune to their toxic skin secretions.
Conclusion
Garter snakes are not picky eaters and will prey on almost any creature they can overpower and swallow whole.
These snakes frequently eat frogs and toads, among other prey.
Sources:
Joseph Caspermeyer, Snake Eyes: New Insights into Visual Adaptations, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Volume 33, Issue 10, October 2016, Page 2765, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msw183
Charles T Hanifin, Edmund D Brodie Jr, Edmund D Brodie III. Phenotypic Mismatches Reveal Escape from Arms-Race Coevolution. March 11, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060060