<HTML>In a message dated 9/22/03 10:29:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jbujes@covad.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Apologies for an off-topic question, but I am desperate. My nine year old daughter passionately wants a pet snake. My question is, is there such a thing as a snake that does not eat mice? Bugs or worms would be ok. Worms would be great cause I have a compost pile. I understand that snakes must eat live food, but I simply cannot put a mouse in a cage with a snake.  Please reply offlist if you have a solution. Thanks, Joanna</BLOCKQUOTE> Garter snakes are cheap, readily available in pet stores & don't get big.  buy an adult (they're easier to feed than young ones) and it can subsist on a diet of small goldfish. if your snake eats mice some stores carry frozen mice and rats.  that saves some of the guilt.  but make sure the mice are thoroughly thawed.  being cold blooded reptiles can't provide the heat themselves. j</HTML>