A quick little message to members...

[EasternGirl]

I just wanted to say something really quick...I know some members lately have found themselves to suddenly be without snakes for one reason or another...perhaps the member had to give his or her snake up for some reason, or his or her snake escaped, or passed away. I'm sure that many of us may go through a period of time in which we find ourselves without a garter snake. As far as I know, there is no rule on this forum that states that you must own a garter snake to be a member of the forum. I have seen people join simply because they have an interest in garters. So, what I want to say is, if you are a member of the forum, and you find yourself suddenly without a garter, that is no reason to leave the forum. I hope I speak for everyone when I say that we still welcome you as a member. You can certainly continue to contribute to discussions and join in on our threads. And if you are a potential member without a snake, but you have an interest in garters, we certainly welcome you as well. I hope I said that as I intended and expressed myself well. Thanks.

[guidofatherof5]

Very well said Marnie. I agree.

[EasternGirl]

Thanks Steve. I just don't want to lose good members and people who I have come to think of as friends and part of my forum family because they do not have garters at the moment. I also don't want people to miss out on the experience of this forum and a chance to learn about garters and to connect with others with a shared passion simply because they don't own a garter. :)

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks Steve. I just don't want to lose good members and people who I have come to think of as friends and part of my forum family because they do not have garters at the moment. I also don't want people to miss out on the experience of this forum and a chance to learn about garters and to connect with others with a shared passion simply because they don't own a garter. :)


Very well said Marnie. I agree.


Once more time.:D

[Didymus20X6]

I joined this forum as an ophidiophobe facing a garter snake infestation. Since joining, I captured safely and released into the wild more than 20 garter snakes. Then I suddenly found myself keeping a few of them as pets.

If you hate garter snakes and want to go on hating garter snakes, then don't join this forum. Because you will learn to love these creatures.

[chris-uk]

I didn't know that Didymus, you're a forum success story. :)

Marnie - There's got to be a lot of members who have a lot of experience with garters, who don't have one right now, their experience and contributions are as valuable (or more so) than mine.

[Natrix]

I haven't got any atm. I joined because this is the best place to re-kindle a long facinination with these wonderful little snakes. Even after a 15yr break I still have my books. To find out where to obtain and who breeds good quality stock rather than go to the petshop. To gain Ideas for breeding systems, enclosures etc... To ask advice from a world wide data base of knowledge from people with a practical experience. To share ideas and talk with like minded people.;)

[EasternGirl]

You know I guess I never mentioned the fact that right before I found Seeley, much like Didymus, I was unfamiliar with garters and had seen a snake (I now believe that snake was Cee Cee) living under some steps in the back end of my house. I found a couple of snakes in my basement right before I found Seeley, that I had released back outside when it was warm...then I found Seeley. I started calling rescues and talking to people at the university where I live trying to find someone who would take him. I told the people I talked to about the snake I had seen living under the stairs at the back of my house, and how I believed she was probably a female who was having babies and that the babies were somehow getting into my basement. One man I spoke to at a rescue told me I probably had several snakes living under my house...that there was obviously a female and a male mating and that I could have upward of fifty snakes living under my house. He said I needed to make a decision...that he could come get the female and try to find the other snakes...that I could do something to try to stop what was happening, or that I could just leave them be. I remember thinking...Oh lord...all these snakes under my house! Then something made me decide to keep Seeley and I started researching and found this forum. A couple weeks later...a passion was born. It was November of 2010 when I found Seeley. In May of 2011, I went outside and found Cee Cee in my flower garden...about to be run over by a lawn mower. And you know the rest. Now, I can't imagine my life without garters and without this forum. So I guess you could say a possible snake infestation under my house led to my love of garters as well.

[chris-uk]

I owe my interest to Char begging me to buy her the pretty little albino that looked all lonely. And I owe an aweful lot to PinJohn, as he gave us our 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th snakes and made me realise that normal colouring is nicer than albinos.

[andycul]

I have never owned a snake of any kind......yet, after Greg showed me this forum I browsed it a lot before finally joining. I was reluctant at first to actually join as I dont have any snakes of my own but I must say I was made to feel very welcome from the first day

[tress29]

I was reluctant at first to actually join as I dont have any snakes of my own but I must say I was made to feel very welcome from the first day
Yet. You don't have any snakes yet! It's just a matter of time...

[GarterGuy17]

Well I must say when I first joined I didn't have a snake , I was planning on getting a snake from Reptiles-n-critters.com , a baby thamnophis marcianus ( checkered garter ) but wanted to learn more about garters and ended up falling in love with red sides ! Happy I didnt spend 40 extra dollars on shipping so this forum was very helpful even when I didn't have a snake. So Marnie I agree with you completely on that not once apart of this family always apart of it , unless you do something horrible to snakes because than and only than will the garter mafia hunt you down !

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...we teased John a lot about making him do initiation hazing rituals for the garter mafia when he first joined! He was so much fun to joke around with...we knew he'd fit right in here...:D.

[acovert]

I have to say that this is a wonderful message. When I lost Cuddles this week I really thought that he would be lost forever and I wasn't sure what I would do about this site any more. I assumed I would be welcome to stay, but I was hesitant and considered leaving if Cuddles hadn't shown up. It's nice to know that I will be welcome here, snake or no snake.

[EasternGirl]

Well Ashley...I did have people like you, Nate, Erin...on my mind when I wrote the message. I especially want new members who come on here with a snake and may lose the snake for some reason to understand that they are still welcome. Things happen. People rescue a snake outside and come on the forum and then the snake doesn't make it, for example. I also want people who may be looking at the site and thinking about joining, who don't have a snake, to understand that they are welcome too. And then there are people like Erin...who have been members for a while...and her snakes passed unexpectedly...I want her to know that we still want her here on the forum. :)

[Didymus20X6]

Also, I refer people with garter snake related questions to this site all the time.

[snickersnake]

I've learned so much from all of you. I had garters when I was growing up but I didn't keep them. I'd save them from the lawnmower then let them go in the woods. In the 80's, my first garter was Zip, a gift from a friend. She was 4 years old and lived four more years, then got very sick and died while I was holding her. It just broke my heart.

A few years after that, I got Fang and she died after six months (similar death to Zip - obstruction), then I got String and she died within a few months, suffering from convulsions. I never knew why and thought it might be related to illnesses that my dogs and I had (from the well water? pesticides?). A few years after that, I developed severe Lyme symptoms and my symptoms were similar to what my dogs had, but it didn't explain the snakes. Then I came to this forum for information after I decided to save Lucy (my current garter) from the lawnmower and found that it was the fish that killed my snakes. Fang and String were eating rosies and Zip always had goldfish. I never knew that these fish were bad for garters. When I first got Zip, those were the feeding instructions. It breaks my heart but now I know.

Anyway, thank goodness for all of you because I might have lost Lucy in the same way. I came here when she refused to eat guppies...it was like she didn't know how! So I came out to this forum and found that I could feed her earthworms. I started a worm farm with worms from my garden (not red wigglers, just earthworms and night crawlers) because fall was coming and she needed food for winter. I dipped them in vitamins and she ate them right down. When she was big enough, I started feeding her pinkies and she has been doing great. Everyone here has been so helpful and I appreciate knowing that there is such a good place to go to get the right information about garters.

[guidofatherof5]

I've learned so much from all of you. I had garters when I was growing up but I didn't keep them. I'd save them from the lawnmower then let them go in the woods. In the 80's, my first garter was Zip, a gift from a friend. She was 4 years old and lived four more years, then got very sick and died while I was holding her. It just broke my heart.

A few years after that, I got Fang and she died after six months (similar death to Zip - obstruction), then I got String and she died within a few months, suffering from convulsions. I never knew why and thought it might be related to illnesses that my dogs and I had (from the well water? pesticides?). A few years after that, I developed severe Lyme symptoms and my symptoms were similar to what my dogs had, but it didn't explain the snakes. Then I came to this forum for information after I decided to save Lucy (my current garter) from the lawnmower and found that it was the fish that killed my snakes. Fang and String were eating rosies and Zip always had goldfish. I never knew that these fish were bad for garters. When I first got Zip, those were the feeding instructions. It breaks my heart but now I know.

Anyway, thank goodness for all of you because I might have lost Lucy in the same way. I came here when she refused to eat guppies...it was like she didn't know how! So I came out to this forum and found that I could feed her earthworms. I started a worm farm with worms from my garden (not red wigglers, just earthworms and night crawlers) because fall was coming and she needed food for winter. I dipped them in vitamins and she ate them right down. When she was big enough, I started feeding her pinkies and she has been doing great. Everyone here has been so helpful and I appreciate knowing that there is such a good place to go to get the right information about garters.


That is what this forum and all its members are all about. Thank you for your kind comments.

[EasternGirl]

Snickersnake...thank you for sharing that story. I am sorry that you had to go through the losses that you suffered, but you learned from them and you were trying to care for garters in the best way that you knew how...that is what matters. We have all made mistakes along the way and learned from them...that is part of being a snake owner. Thankfully we all have this forum and each other...your story is a perfect example of why we are here...and although you suffered losses along the way, it is a success story in the end. We are glad to have you here!